Fully open-source and self-hosted, with a 2026 independent privacy review and Germany's Blauer Engel ecolabel. However, E2EE is opt-in, and pricing ignores local purchasing power.
Local-first, open-source, Markdown notes on Linux, macOS, Windows, and Android with perfect privacy, but a young project backed by a small volunteer team.
Brave blocks ads and trackers by default, keeps all data on your device, and it's open source. It earns an excellent score, but is VC-funded and has not published an audit of its core browser code.
Proton Mail is an end-to-end encrypted email service based in Switzerland. It offers zero-access storage, no ads, and open-source clients. It's subscription-based, but there is also a free tier.
Signal is an open-source encrypted messaging app operated by a US-based non-profit. The service does not display ads, sell data, or use user data for AI training.
Ecosia uses ad revenue to plant trees and stores all data in Germany. It earns a Good score, but this is limited because its codebase is closed and search queries still go to Bing.
Chrome’s engine is open source. However, Google adds its own proprietary features, has kept third-party cookies active, and now automatically adds Gemini AI to your tabs by default.
Free and mature, but end-to-end encryption is opt-in only, security claims remain unaudited, and ecosystem lock-in is nearly total.
Doist has run independently since 2007 without outside investment. Todoist stores user data on US servers, keeps its code private, and removes completed tasks from the official export.
GitHub is closed-source, owned by Microsoft, and shares behavioral data with advertising partners. Repositories can be exported, and a self-hosted edition helps users avoid lock-in.
EU-hosted, Lumo keeps saved chats protected with zero-access encryption and does not use them for training. However, its claims about live encryption and open-source status are somewhat exaggerated.
A decade-old chat platform with an official Linux client and full data export, but text messages aren't end-to-end encrypted and hashed ad-matching still shares behavioral data.
Notion is closed-source and VC-funded, storing notes on US AWS servers without end-to-end encryption, though it contractually bars AI providers from training on your content.
Salesforce has owned Slack since 2021. There is no end-to-end encryption: by default, message content is used to train Slack's ranking models, and identifiers are shared with ad partners.
Evernote runs under Bending Spoons: EU legal oversight but US-hosted servers, an ISO 27001 audit, no AI training, but a slashed free tier and no end-to-end encryption.
OpenAI may use ChatGPT conversations to improve its models. It is closed-source, hosted in the US, has recognized security certifications, and allows users to export their entire chat history.
Google offers free email to 1.8 billion users. It operates under US jurisdiction, does not provide end-to-end encryption, and relies on behavioral advertising for its business model.
Google Keep is free and syncs across devices, but it is closed-source; Google can read every note on its US servers, and your account activity still feeds its ad-targeting business.
Substack lets you read and write for free, taking a 10% share of creator revenue. It's based in the US, is closed source, and does not offer end-to-end encryption.
Free and dominant since the '90s, but every query builds an ad-targeting profile, and a federal court ruled Google's search monopoly was maintained illegally through default deals.
Free messaging app with ~3 billion users that offers end-to-end encryption. Still, Meta collects user data for advertising and is facing antitrust charges in the EU for blocking competing AI services.
Messenger finally encrypts your messages by default. Almost everything else — ownership, metadata access, and profits — still runs on Meta's terms.
Spotify has 640 million listeners and relies on collecting user behavior data for advertising and AI training. The app is closed-source, and there is no public record of a security audit.
Reddit shares your public posts with Google and OpenAI for AI training, and there is no way to opt out. The platform is also one of the largest ad-driven, data-monetized sites on the web.
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