Microsoft is paywalling Notepad and Paint: If you don’t have a Microsoft 365 subscription ($9.99/month), in Notepad, options like Rewrite, Make shorter, Make longer, Change tone and Change format will be grayed out. Over in Paint, the Image Creator will be blocked. Seriously, who uses Notepad or Paint anyway?
10 privacy-friendly Big Tech alternatives
Nextcloud.com, play.google.com, Notesnook.com
Amazon uses your Alexa voice commands to train its AI, Dropbox had a breach in April that exposed customers’ passwords, and apps like Facebook and Google make billions of dollars gathering and sharing every little detail about you. I could go on (and on).
Luckily for you, there are privacy-friendly alternatives. Here are some proven ones.
1. Instead of Dropbox …
Try Nextcloud. It does everything Dropbox does (including end-to-end file encryption) but gives you total control. You can even host your own server for free at home.
2. Instead of Google Docs or Microsoft 365 …
Try Joplin. It’s a document app that keeps your files encrypted and stored in open formats, so you can take them anywhere without anyone snooping.
3. Instead of Google Keep or Apple Notes …
Try Notesnook. It’s end-to-end encrypted and lets you export to other apps. Unlike some companies, Notesnook won’t use your stuff to train an AI chatbot.
4. Instead of Google Photos or Apple Photos …
Try Ente, a free photo storage app that backs up your data in multiple locations and scrambles it with a password for maximum security. Ente doesn’t use your pics for AI machine learning, either, like Google Photos and Apple Photos both do.
5. Instead of Apple Home or Google Home …
Try Home Assistant. It’s an open-source smart home hub that works with just about every smart home device out there. The best part? You can manage everything from your browser or phone — no need for home apps that collect your data … and voice … and schedule … and shopping habits …
Free versions of Excel if you don’t want to pay for Microsoft 365
Photo © Surachet Khamsuk | Dreamstime.com
Smart penny pinchers know there are a ton of freebies around the web. You have to be savvy about where you search since there are a ton of dangerous downloads lurking. We’re always here to share safe tools, like the top free Excel alternatives.
After 35 years, Microsoft is ditching Publisher: It’s getting the boot in Oct. 2026. Other changes: Look for Microsoft to start bugging you to back up your files to OneDrive if you use Microsoft 365 apps for Windows. And they’re also testing free Office desktop apps that have ads baked in that only let you save docs to OneDrive.