Free, open-source alternatives to Privnote
Notes that delete themselves after reading. 6 apps you can run yourself instead of Privnote, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
PrivateBinBest match
Minimalist pastebin/discussion board where the server has zero knowledge of hosted data.
Yopass
Secure sharing of secrets, passwords and files.
One Time Secret
Share sensitive information securely with self-destructing links that are only viewable once.
Password Pusher
Dead-simple application to securely communicate passwords (or text) over the web. Passwords automatically expire after a certain number of views and/or time has passed.
OTS
One-Time-Secret sharing platform with a symmetric 256bit AES encryption in the browser.
Shhh
Keep secrets out of emails or chat logs, share them using secure links with passphrase and expiration dates.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PrivateBin | 8,662 | Zlib | PHP | |
| Yopass | 3,170 | Apache-2.0 | Go, Docker | |
| One Time Secret | 2,958 | MIT | Docker, Ruby, Node.js | |
| Password Pusher | 3,220 | Apache-2.0 | Docker, Kubernetes, Ruby | |
| OTS | 800 | Apache-2.0 | Go | |
| Shhh | 419 | MIT | Python |
Why replace Privnote?
Privnote works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to Privnote?
PrivateBin is the closest open-source replacement for Privnote in our list. Yopass and One Time Secret are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to Privnote?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.