Group test: what's the best encryption software?

5. Hamster Free Zip Archiver

• Reviewed on: 24 March 11
• RRP: FREE
• Rating:

If you don't need the additional features found in paid-for products, and are looking for a free, simple, no-fuss way to handle archives, you'll want to download Hamster Free Zip Archiver.

4. BestCrypt

• Reviewed on: 11 March 11
• RRP: $60 (about £37)
• Rating:

BestCrypt has a fully functional 21-day trial. At the end of twenty-one days, the containers become read-only, so there's no risk of losing data you put into them if you fail to purchase the product. This is ample time to test BestCrypt and compare it to other possible solutions. It is very reasonably priced, and the feature set it offers (and the fact many businesses feel safer with a corporation, not a collection of volunteers, supplying their software), makes it well worth consideration.

3. Laplink PC Lock

• Reviewed on: 17 May 11
• RRP: £20 inc. VAT
• Rating:

All in all, PC Lock seems as if it's well thought-out and once the minor issues have been addressed, it should be perfect for its intended role - a cheap alternative for users without hardware encryption on their laptops.

2. Gpg4win

• Reviewed on: 7 December 11
• RRP: FREE (donations accepted)
• Rating:

Gpg4win is offered for free, but the developer welcomes donations. This is one of the most important free encryption projects for Windows, so if you feel strongly about privacy, Gpg4win is a worthy cause indeed.

1. TrueCrypt

• Reviewed on: 23 March 11
• RRP: FREE
• Rating:

TrueCrypt is free, powerful, and flexible. I strongly recommend it if you're looking for a disk encryption solution. It's probably enough for most users to set aside a few dozen gigabytes for an encrypted volume to store your most sensitive information, but if your need for security is greater, TrueCrypt will meet it.