Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Exist VS PrivacyNotes

Compare Exist VS PrivacyNotes and see what are their differences

Exist logo Exist

Track everything in one place, understand your life.

PrivacyNotes logo PrivacyNotes

Zero-knowledge encrypted notes, tasks, journals, files, and passwords in one app. Your keys never leave your device. One-time price, no subscription. Hosted in Switzerland.
Visit Website
  • Exist Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-19
  • PrivacyNotes Journal
    Journal //
    2026-06-25
  • PrivacyNotes Settings
    Settings //
    2026-06-25
  • PrivacyNotes Website
    Website //
    2026-06-25

PrivacyNotes is a zero-knowledge encrypted workspace that brings your notes, tasks, journals, files, and passwords into one app, so you stop juggling four separate subscriptions.

Everything is encrypted on your device with XChaCha20-Poly1305 before it ever syncs. Your keys are derived from a recovery phrase that never touches our servers, so we cannot read your content, your filenames, or anything else. This is real zero-knowledge, not a marketing label.

Five pillars, one encrypted app:

  • Notes - a live markdown editor with note-to-note links, tags, and fast full-text search
  • Tasks - native checklists and task management next to your notes
  • Journals - daily entries with built-in mood, sleep, and medication tracking
  • Files - an encrypted vault for images, audio, and attachments
  • Vault - lock sensitive notes and logins behind a PIN or biometrics

Built for privacy, not surveillance:

  • No ads, no trackers, no analytics, ever
  • Sign in anonymously with a recovery phrase or with Google. No email or personal details required.
  • Open core: the encryption layer and database schema are published for independent review
  • Burn notes: self-destructing shares the server cannot read

Pricing that respects you:

  • Free covers every pillar with two-device sync and offline use
  • Pro is a one-time free, not a subscription, adding unlimited devices, note history, and more storage
  • Optional storage add-ons when you need them

Works on web, macOS, and soon iOS, Android, Windows and Linux with a responsive mobile layout. Import from Apple Notes, Standard Notes, Google Keep, Obsidian, and markdown in a few clicks.

Exist

Website
exist.io
Pricing URL
-
$ Details
-
Platforms
-
Release Date
-

PrivacyNotes

$ Details
freemium $48.0 / One-off (Early adopter price)
Platforms
MacOS Web Firefox Google Chrome Edge Safari
Release Date
2026 June
Startup details
Country
Switzerland
Employees
1 - 9

Exist features and specs

  • Comprehensive Data Integration
    Exist integrates data from various services such as fitness trackers, social media, sleep monitors, and more, allowing for a wide range of data collection and analysis.
  • Personal Insights
    It provides personalized insights and correlations based on the data collected, helping users to better understand their habits and improve their lifestyle.
  • Custom Tracking
    Users can create custom tags to track specific activities or behaviors that are important to them, offering a high degree of personalization.
  • API Access
    Exist offers an API, enabling users to create custom integrations and extend the platform's functionality.
  • Mobile App Availability
    Exist is available as a mobile app, making it easy for users to input and check their data on the go.

Possible disadvantages of Exist

  • Subscription Cost
    Exist requires a paid subscription after the initial trial period, which may be a barrier for some users.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Collecting and integrating a wide range of personal data can raise privacy concerns, especially if the service is ever compromised.
  • Data Overload
    The sheer amount of data available can be overwhelming for some users, making it challenging to identify the most relevant insights.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve as they try to navigate the platform and make the best use of its features.
  • Limited Free Features
    The free version offers limited functionality, which may not be sufficient for users looking to fully explore the platform before committing to a subscription.

PrivacyNotes features and specs

  • Privacy-focused
    PrivacyNotes is designed with privacy as a core principle, aiming to keep your notes secure and away from third-party access, which appeals to users concerned about data confidentiality.
  • Encryption
    The service typically emphasizes encryption to protect note content, meaning your data is scrambled and less vulnerable to unauthorized reading if intercepted or stored.
  • Ephemeral notes
    Many privacy note services offer self-destructing or temporary notes that automatically delete after being read or after a set time, reducing the digital footprint left behind.
  • Simple and lightweight
    Such tools often provide a clean, minimal interface focused on quick note creation and sharing without unnecessary features, making it easy to use.
  • No account required
    Privacy-oriented note apps frequently allow you to create and share notes without registration, lowering the barrier to entry and reducing personal data collection.

Analysis of PrivacyNotes

Overall verdict

  • I don't have verified, specific information about PrivacyNotes (privacynotes.app) to make a reliable assessment of its quality, security practices, or features. I cannot confirm details about its encryption methods, privacy policy, company background, or user reviews.

Why this product is good

  • Unable to verify claims about encryption or zero-knowledge architecture without independent confirmation
  • No access to current user reviews, ratings, or reputation data for this specific service
  • Cannot confirm company legitimacy, ownership, or track record
  • Unable to verify uptime, reliability, or actual security audit results
  • No information available on pricing structure or terms of service specifics

Recommended for

  • Before using, research independently via security audit reports if available
  • Check for third-party security reviews or penetration testing results
  • Verify the company's privacy policy and data handling practices directly on their site
  • Look for user reviews on independent platforms rather than relying on marketing claims
  • Consider established, well-audited alternatives if handling highly sensitive information

Exist videos

Exist - Board Game Review

More videos:

  • Review - Exist Review
  • Review - Daiwa Exist Spinning Reel [Review & Unboxing]

PrivacyNotes videos

No PrivacyNotes videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Exist and PrivacyNotes)
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Personal Notes
0 0%
100% 100
Health And Fitness
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Exist and PrivacyNotes.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

PrivacyNotes's answer:

Honestly? We have no idea, and that is the entire point. Signup is anonymous (a recovery phrase or Google, no email or personal details), the app ships zero analytics and zero trackers, and zero-knowledge encryption means we cannot see who you are or what you store. We could not name a single customer if we tried. A privacy product that tracked its users closely enough to brag about them would be missing the plot.

What makes your product unique?

PrivacyNotes's answer:

PrivacyNotes is the only zero-knowledge encrypted workspace that keeps notes, tasks, journals, files, and a password vault behind one set of on-device keys. Most privacy apps do one of those well and rent it to you monthly. We do all five, encrypt everything with XChaCha20-Poly1305 before it leaves your device, and charge once instead of forever. The encryption core is open core, published so the claims can be verified rather than trusted.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

PrivacyNotes's answer:

Three reasons:

  • One app, not four subscriptions. Standard Notes, Day One, and Lunatask each rent you a slice (notes, journaling, tasks). PrivacyNotes covers all of them plus files and a vault, for a fair one-time fee.
  • Real zero-knowledge. Your keys come from a recovery phrase that never touches our servers, so we cannot read your notes, your filenames, or your metadata. Some encrypted apps leave note or task metadata in the clear; we do not.
  • Verifiable, not just trusted. The crypto and schema are open core and published for review, and there is no ad, tracker, or analytics anywhere in the app.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

PrivacyNotes's answer:

Privacy-conscious individuals and independent professionals who handle information they would not want a vendor reading: lawyers, journalists, healthcare and mental-health practitioners, developers, security specialists, researchers, and founders. It also fits anyone who simply wants one private home for their notes, tasks, journaling, and wellness tracking instead of spreading them across surveillance-funded apps.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

PrivacyNotes's answer:

React, TypeScript, Vite and Tailwind CSS.

What's the story behind your product?

PrivacyNotes's answer:

PrivacyNotes started from a simple frustration: staying organized meant scattering your life across half a dozen apps, most of which could read everything you typed and billed you monthly for the privilege. We wanted one place for notes, tasks, journals, files, and passwords, encrypted so thoroughly that the people running the servers could not read a word of it, and paid for once rather than forever. So we built the encryption first, made the keys live only on your device, and published the crypto as open core so the promise could be checked, not just believed. Everything else grew from one rule: your data is yours, and no one else's to mine.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Exist and PrivacyNotes

Exist Reviews

We have no reviews of Exist yet.
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PrivacyNotes Reviews

  1. FossFox
    Feature rich

    The best thing about this: No subscription model, it's a one-time fee for a lifetime license. But you can start for free with the generous freemium model. I only needed to upgrade to pro because I wanted to use the app on my phone, laptop and desktop. Highly recommended! Btw, it's a perfect markdown editor as well, not sure why they don't emphasize this more.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Exist seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 43 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Exist mentions (43)

  • Apple courier may have stolen 2 MacBooks, () Apple is not going to help
    As someone who has been on and off the Degoogle train (I ran full LineageOS without Google Play at one point) and is now pretty deep in iOS territory, I'd say the main thing for me has been email. I've used https://www.fastmail.com for a great deal of years now, which is also home to my calendar as well so there's nothing much of value tied to my Google account. YouTube subscriptions would be annoying to lose but... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Tell us about your project that's not done yet but you want feedback on
    You may want to look into https://exist.io/. It's a very indie developer duo out of Australia (IIRC). And also IIRC they were looking for a buyer on Twitter some time ago. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Ask HN: Anyone using or working on a life dashboard?
    I have used this previously when tracking health metrics and I couldn't much else that had integrations. https://exist.io/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Tracking Apps
    Hey guys, thinking of tracking wellness metrics such as sleep water intake etc to a dashboard/app. The main tools I have found are Exist.io, Gyrosco.pe, and conjure.so. For those of you who have tried them I would love to know what are the pros and cons with each one? Or if you have any better ones any help is greatly appreciated! Source: almost 3 years ago
  • Best apps to use
    Hey guys, thinking of transporting my quantified self journey to a dashboard/app. The main tools I have found are Exist.io, Gyrosco.pe, and conjure.so. For those of you who have tried them I would love to know what are the pros and cons with each one? Source: almost 3 years ago
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PrivacyNotes mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PrivacyNotes yet. Tracking of PrivacyNotes recommendations started around Jun 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Exist and PrivacyNotes, you can also consider the following products

Gyroscope - Gyroscope is a personalized dashboard for tracking your life.

Standard Notes - A safe place for your notes, thoughts, and life's work

Daylio - Daylio enables you to keep a private diary without having to type a single line.

Apple Notes - Apple Notes functions as a service for making short text notes.

Bearable App - User-friendly health tracking

Simplenote - The simplest way to keep notes. Light, clean, and free. Simplenote is now available for iOS, Android, Mac, and the web.