Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

KeePassXC VS PrivacyNotes

Compare KeePassXC VS PrivacyNotes and see what are their differences

KeePassXC logo KeePassXC

KeePass Cross-Platform Community Edition - A community maintained fork of the popular KeePassX...

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
  • KeePassXC Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-17
  • 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.

KeePassXC

Pricing URL
-
$ Details
Platforms
-
Release Date
-
Startup details

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

KeePassXC features and specs

  • Open Source
    KeePassXC is an open-source project, which means that its source code is freely available for inspection, contributing to increased transparency and security.
  • Cross-Platform
    KeePassXC is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing for seamless integration across different devices.
  • Strong Encryption
    KeePassXC uses industry-standard encryption algorithms (such as AES-256) to securely store your passwords, making it highly secure.
  • Offline Storage
    Passwords are stored locally on your device, reducing the risk of breaches that come from cloud storage solutions.
  • Customization
    Users can customize KeePassXC with various plugins and settings to tailor the software to their specific needs.
  • Free of Cost
    KeePassXC is free to use, which is advantageous for users who need a high-quality password manager without incurring any cost.

Possible disadvantages of KeePassXC

  • No Native Cloud Sync
    KeePassXC does not offer built-in cloud sync, requiring users to use third-party storage solutions like Google Drive or Dropbox for synchronization across devices.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    Since KeePassXC offers extensive features and customization options, it may be more complex for beginners to learn and use effectively.
  • Manual Updates
    Unlike some password managers that automatically update, KeePassXC requires manual updates, which can be a hassle for some users.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    While there are mobile apps that support KeePassXC databases (e.g., KeePass2Android), there is no official mobile app, and the experience may not be as seamless as desktop use.
  • No Web Integration
    KeePassXC lacks direct browser integration for auto-filling passwords on websites, although browser extensions are available that partially fill this gap.

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 KeePassXC

Overall verdict

  • Overall, KeePassXC is highly regarded as a secure and reliable password manager with robust features suitable for both individual users and IT professionals. Its open-source nature adds to its trustworthiness, making it a strong contender among password management solutions.

Why this product is good

  • KeePassXC is considered a good choice for a password manager due to its strong focus on security and privacy. It is an open-source application, which means its code is publicly available for review, ensuring transparency and the ability to identify potential vulnerabilities. KeePassXC supports various encryption algorithms to keep your password database secure and offers features like TOTP generation and browser integration for an enhanced user experience.

Recommended for

    KeePassXC is recommended for users who value security and privacy, prefer open-source software, and are comfortable managing their own password database. It is especially ideal for privacy-conscious individuals, tech enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a free and powerful password management solution without relying on cloud services.

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

KeePassXC videos

Introduction to KeePassXC

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 KeePassXC and PrivacyNotes)
Password Management
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
0 0%
100% 100
Security & Privacy
100 100%
0% 0
Task Management
0 0%
100% 100

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing KeePassXC 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 KeePassXC and PrivacyNotes

KeePassXC Reviews

Top 10 Best Password Managers [NEW 2023 Rankings]
KeePassXC is the community fork of KeePassX and every feature provided by it supports cross-platform. KeePassX was previously called as KeePass/L for Linux. It was named so as it was a port of Windows Password Manager KeePass Password Safe.

PrivacyNotes Reviews

  1. 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, KeePassXC seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 241 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.

KeePassXC mentions (241)

  • LastPass notifies users of yet another data breach
    For folks new to the KeePass ecosystem, itโ€™s KeePassXC[0] now. The original KeePass is still developed as well, however KeePassXC is a cross-platform updated version. [0] https://keepassxc.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 month ago
  • The Quiet Renovation at Bitwarden
    I have moved to KeepassXC[1] on my desktop from Bitwarden. On phone, I use KeepassDX[2] which is Android client compatible with KeepassXC. On browser, I use KeepassXC Browser extension which connects with the desktop client. Since KeepassXC operates on a single file, you can use any Filesystem syncing tool to sync that file between devices or to store it in the cloud. I am really happy with the move. [1]:... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Bye Bye Big Tech: How I Migrated to an Almost All-EU Stack (and Saved 500โ‚ฌ/Year)
    This year I moved off LastPass, and started using [Syncthing](https://syncthing.net/) to sync my [KeepassXC](https://keepassxc.org/). It works pretty well, but doesn't have any automatic conflict resolution (I've been working on [something](https://github.com/LightAndLight/syncthing-merge) for this). Next up I'm moving my TODOs off Todoist to something local-first, and plugging that into my Syncthing setup. - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • We replaced passwords with something worse
    > How do I even tell Iโ€™m facing the correct KeePass(X(C)?)? project? Well, [0] lists a single project called KeePassXC, with [1] as its homepage. Search engines list [1] and [2] as the top results for the query KeePassXC, for whatever that's worth. [3] > Also, if a password manager project needs to be forked over and over and over again ... Then does that tell us something about how the project is governed? No?... - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Your Phone, Your Data: How to Safeguard Your Digital Life When Entering the U.S.
    1. Is Your Password Secure? (IYPS) is a "password strength app that evaluates and rates your password's robustness, estimates crack time, and provides helpful warnings and suggestions for stronger passwords.": https://github.com/StellarSand/IYPS 3. "Password Generator is a simple Android application which generates secure passwords.": https://gitlab.com/vecturagames/passwordgenerator 4. KeePassXC has a "Password... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year 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 KeePassXC and PrivacyNotes, you can also consider the following products

bitwarden - Bitwarden is a free and open source password management solution for individuals, teams, and business organizations.

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

KeePass - KeePass is an open source password manager. Passwords can be stored in highly-encrypted databases, which can be unlocked with one master password or key file.

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

1Password - 1Password can create strong, unique passwords for you, remember them, and restore them, all directly in your web browser.

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