Pop!_OS vs Windows 11: Privacy Comparison
Here we put Pop!_OS head-to-head with Windows 11 across the six privacy factors that matter most: their data collection practices, encryption implementation, third-party data sharing, user privacy controls, transparency, and historical track record. While both products address similar requirements, the philosophies they bring to protecting users diverge sharply. Our assessment finds that Pop!_OS provides a noticeably better overall privacy experience, although neither service is without trade-offs that deserve a careful, detailed look.
The Result, Up Front
The most useful starting point is the overall tally and the single dimension that decided it. Across the six privacy dimensions we score, Pop!_OS finishes ahead of Windows 11, 54/60 to 38/60. That total reflects a side-by-side review in which one service is consistently the more privacy-respecting choice, even though both cover the same functional ground.
The largest single-dimension gap is in Encryption, where Pop!_OS leads by 3 points -- Pop!_OS 7/10 to Windows 11 4/10. The tightest race is Data Collection, separated by just 2 points (Pop!_OS 10/10, Windows 11 8/10). The deeper analysis that follows shows how the lead was built.
Data Collection Practices
Every privacy assessment starts with data collection. How much a service gathers, stores, and processes about its users is what ultimately drives the privacy risk of using it. Pop!_OS takes a leaner approach here, capturing only the data strictly required to make the service work. Its rival pulls in a wider net of information -- behavioral patterns, device identifiers, and usage analytics that go well past what the core features actually need. Our marks were Pop!_OS 10/10 and Windows 11 8/10 in this area. What separates them is not merely how much is gathered but why it is gathered and whether it is truly needed.
How Strong Is the Encryption
Whether data is moving or resting, encryption is what keeps it safe, and the quality of that work swings widely across services. Pop!_OS brings more capable encryption to the table, pairing more resilient protocols for data in transit with better protection for data at rest. Where the two differ is in coverage (exactly which data is encrypted), in strength (the algorithms and key lengths chosen), and in whether end-to-end encryption is used at all (which stops even the service operator from seeing user content). On encryption, Pop!_OS scored 7/10 and Windows 11 scored 4/10.
Who Else Gets Your Data
One of the most important privacy questions is how freely a service passes data along to others. The list of recipients can run from advertising networks and analytics providers to business partners and government requests. Pop!_OS draws firmer limits around third-party access to user data. Such practices matter for security and not only privacy, because each new entity with access is another door through which a breach could occur. Scores: Pop!_OS 8/10, Windows 11 5/10.
What You Can Manage Yourself
Individuals only hold real power over their data when a service's privacy controls are available and genuinely effective. The relevant tools include the option to opt out of data collection, ways to download and erase data, granular permission settings, and how readily users can exercise the rights afforded them by applicable privacy regulations. Pop!_OS offers more complete and approachable privacy controls. Scores: Pop!_OS 9/10, Windows 11 6/10.
How Clearly They Explain Themselves
Transparency comes down to how plainly a service explains what it does with data. It shows up in how readable the privacy policy is, whether transparency reports are published, how quickly privacy questions get answered, and whether policy changes are communicated up front. Pop!_OS comes across as the more transparent of the two overall. Plain, easy-to-find privacy communication is the bedrock of informed consent and trust. Scores: Pop!_OS 10/10, Windows 11 7/10.
Track Record Over Time
Looking at how a service has handled privacy incidents, regulatory actions, and disclosed vulnerabilities over time adds essential context. Pop!_OS carries the better historical record on privacy, having faced fewer incidents and dealt with the ones that did come up more responsibly. How a company has acted before is usually the clearest signal of how it will act on privacy going forward. Scores: Pop!_OS 10/10, Windows 11 8/10.
Overall Verdict
Our comprehensive analysis gives Pop!_OS a total score of 54/60 and Windows 11 a total score of 38/60. The overall winner for privacy is Pop!_OS. While both services serve similar functional needs, the winner demonstrates a more privacy-respecting approach across the dimensions that matter most. That said, no service is perfect, and users should always configure privacy settings actively regardless of which option they choose. We recommend supplementing your choice with additional privacy tools, a VPN, DNS-level ad blocker, and privacy-focused browser, to build a comprehensive privacy posture. If your threat model requires the strongest possible privacy, consider whether an even more privacy-focused alternative exists in this category beyond the two compared here.