Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FBReader VS PrivacyNotes

Compare FBReader VS PrivacyNotes and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

FBReader logo FBReader

FBReader is an e-book reader for various platforms. Features:

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
  • FBReader Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-22
  • 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.

FBReader

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

FBReader features and specs

  • Platform Support
    FBReader is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
  • Format Compatibility
    The reader supports a variety of ebook formats like EPUB, MOBI, FB2, HTML, RTF, and plain text, which offers flexibility to readers.
  • Customization
    FBReader allows extensive customization options such as font types, sizes, colors, and background images, letting users personalize their reading experience.
  • Library Management
    The app offers robust library management features including book organization, sorting, and categorization, making it easier to manage large collections.
  • Speed
    FBReader is known for its speed and efficiency in loading books and navigating through them, which provides a smooth reading experience.

Possible disadvantages of FBReader

  • User Interface
    Some users find the user interface to be outdated and less intuitive compared to other modern ebook readers, which can affect usability.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While FBReader covers basic reading needs, it lacks some advanced features found in other readers, such as annotations, bookmarks synchronization, and cloud storage integration.
  • DRM Support
    The app does not support DRM-protected content, limiting its use with books purchased from certain vendors like Amazon or Google Play.
  • In-App Purchases
    The free version of FBReader has limited features, and users need to make in-app purchases to unlock additional functionalities, which may not be ideal for all.
  • Performance on Older Devices
    Some users have reported performance issues when running FBReader on older or less powerful devices, which can interrupt the reading experience.

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 FBReader

Overall verdict

  • FBReader is generally considered a good option for users looking for a reliable and flexible e-book reader. It provides a smooth reading experience and is often appreciated for its cross-platform availability and customization options.

Why this product is good

  • FBReader is a popular e-book reader known for its versatility and support for multiple file formats, including EPUB, MOBI, FB2, and more. It allows users to customize their reading experience by adjusting fonts, colors, and layouts. The application is lightweight, available across various platforms, and often praised for its easy-to-use interface.

Recommended for

    FBReader is recommended for readers who value customization in their reading experience and need support for various e-book formats. It's ideal for those who read on multiple devices and platforms, as it offers sync features and wide compatibility.

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

FBReader videos

Review FBReader on Linux Ubuntu

More videos:

  • Review - FBReader Android Review
  • Review - FBReader - Best eBook Reader App [Android/iOS] #03

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 FBReader and PrivacyNotes)
eBook Reader
100 100%
0% 0
Personal Notes
0 0%
100% 100
Ebooks
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing FBReader 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 FBReader and PrivacyNotes

FBReader Reviews

8 Best eBook Readers for Linux
FBReader is a lightweight, multi-platform ebook reader, free but not open-source, supporting various formats like ePub, fb2, mobi, rtf, html etc. It includes access to popular network libraries from where you can download ebooks for free or buy one.
Source: itsfoss.com
10 of the Best Ebook Readers for Windows, macOS, and Mobile
The Favorite Book Reader (FBReader) is a free app that used to be open source. As such, it used to be available for a multitude of devices but now caters to iOS and Android users. Thereโ€™s also a beta version in development for the Onyx reader.

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, FBReader seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 10 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.

FBReader mentions (10)

  • What is a good ebook reader for Linux?
    I use fbreader, it's probably in your disto's repository or you can get in from fbreader.org. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Best ebook app that also allows for reader?
    I've been using FBreader for years, and it can use the built in Android TTS. https://fbreader.org/. Source: over 3 years ago
  • 3x new books added to the Pirate Library Mirror (+24TB, 3.8M books)
    Based on what's on ZLibrary, various formats, though principally PDF, ePub, Mobi (Kindle), DJVU (similar to PDF), FB2, and a few others. Most ebook readers (with the exception of Amazon's own Kindle reader) can read virtually all of these, some with extensions. E.g., FB Reader , PocketBook Reader , Onyx's Neoreader (BOOX) ... No... - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
  • FOSS or privacy conscious ebook reading app (Mac/iOS)
    I came across FBReader which looks great in principal, but it uses a Google Drive account to sync with no other options. Also it's no longer OSS from 2015 (which wouldn't have been a deal breaker for me). Source: about 4 years ago
  • I need a good Software to read epub
    I use FBreader on android and PC. It's insanely customizable. I sometimes use it it double-page layout, 'though I haven't tried comics. Source: about 4 years ago
View more

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 FBReader and PrivacyNotes, you can also consider the following products

calibre - Ebook manager, viewer & converter

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

Amazon Kindle - Amazon Kindle software lets you read ebooks on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and...

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

Cool Reader - Fast and small cross-platform eBook reader for desktops and handheld devices

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