
Cisco Umbrella
Kaspersky Security for Internet Gateways
WebTitan
OpenDNS Umbrella
Forcepoint Web Security
DNSFilter
Barracuda Web Security Gateway
McAfee Web Protection is a web security solution that includes an on-premises secure web gateway and SaaS-based web security delivered from the cloud.

Obsidian
Standard Notes
Apple Notes
Simplenote
Google Keep
Day One
Notion
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.

Which is more popular?
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
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|---|---|---|
| Website | mcafee.com | privacynotes.app |
| Pricing | — | |
| Platforms | — | |
| Company | — | Startup from Switzerland · 1 - 9 employees · 2026 |
| Listed in |
In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.


No description of McAfee SmartFilter yet.
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...
What each product offers, as listed by its team.


Possible disadvantages
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.


Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
McAfee SmartFilter is recommended for enterprises, educational institutions, and government organizations looking for a comprehensive solution to manage and secure internet access and to protect against web-based threats. It is suitable for those who need detailed reporting features and flexibility in policy enforcement.
Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.


As answered by people managing McAfee SmartFilter and PrivacyNotes.
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.
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.
PrivacyNotes's answer:
Three reasons:
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.
PrivacyNotes's answer:
React, TypeScript, Vite and Tailwind CSS.
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.
Share your experience with using McAfee SmartFilter and PrivacyNotes. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.


We have no reviews of McAfee SmartFilter yet. Be the first one to post
This app checks every box for me. Clean interface, no learning curve, local-first encryption, and secure sync across all of my devices. The biggest surprise is how many apps it replaced. Instead of juggling separate...
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...
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