A private bookmark manager is one where you decide who can read your saves, the company does not make money from your data, and you can take everything out in an open format whenever you like. Few tools do all of that. Here is how six of them compare, including where each one falls short.
We make Trezio, one of the options below. It is not end-to-end encrypted for everything and cannot be self-hosted, so if those matter most to you, another tool on this list will suit better, and we say so. Facts about other apps come from their own websites, checked on 15 October 2026.
What private means
At a glance
| App | Who can read your data | Open source | Self-host | Export | Free plan | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian | Files stay on your device; optional Sync is end-to-end encrypted | Not stated | Local files, no server needed | Plain Markdown files | Free without limits | Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Joplin | End-to-end encryption for synced notes | Yes | You choose the sync service | Open format; imports Markdown and Evernote | Free app | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS; Chrome and Firefox clipper |
| Karakeep | Yours alone when self-hosted | Yes | Yes, with Docker | Not stated on its site | Free self-hosted; 50 bookmarks hosted | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Safari |
| Linkwarden | Yours alone when self-hosted | Yes (AGPLv3) | Yes | JSON backup | Free self-hosted; cloud 14-day trial | Web, iOS, Android, Chrome, Safari, Firefox |
| Raindrop.io | Provider's servers; its privacy policy names no encryption method | No | No | HTML, CSV, TXT | Unlimited bookmarks | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, extensions |
| Trezio | Vault logins end-to-end encrypted; other saves on Trezio's servers, isolated per account | No | No | JSON, HTML, CSV (Pro) | 100 items, 5 folders | Web, Chrome and Edge extension, Android |
The options
A note app that stores everything as plain Markdown files on your device. Obsidian says no one else can read them, “not even us”, and that its open file formats mean you are never locked in. Saving links works, but it is a notes tool first, not a bookmark manager.
A free, open source note and to-do app that uses end-to-end encryption. A web clipper for Chrome and Firefox saves pages or screenshots as notes, and you sync through Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive or Nextcloud.
Previously called Hoarder. Run it on your own server with Docker and keep full control of your data. It tags and summarizes saves with AI, and can use local models through Ollama so nothing leaves your machine.
Open source under AGPLv3. Keeps a copy of each page in several formats, including full HTML, so links do not rot. Exports a JSON backup and imports bookmark HTML files.
The most complete hosted bookmark manager. Exports HTML, CSV and TXT, and Pro adds automatic daily backups that can go to Dropbox, Google Drive or OneDrive. Its privacy policy does not describe end-to-end encryption.
A library for links, text notes, screenshots and voice notes. Logins in its vault are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM and your master password never leaves it. Other saves are not end-to-end encrypted: they sit on Trezio's servers, kept private to your account by row-level security and sent over HTTPS. Your data is never sold and never used to train AI models. Search covers the full text of notes and voice transcripts and can find saves by meaning, but not the text inside saved pages.
Plainly
Backups
An HTML bookmarks file opens in every browser; CSV opens in a spreadsheet; JSON keeps the most detail. Prefer a format another app can read.
One on your computer and one somewhere else, such as an external drive or a different cloud account. Repeat on a schedule, monthly if you save often.
Import the file somewhere now and then to check it opens. In Trezio, Pro exports JSON, HTML or CSV from Settings, Export, and the JSON backup restores through Settings, Import without creating duplicates.
Vault credentials are never included in a Trezio export, on purpose. Full steps: Export your data.
FAQ
Three things: who can read your saves (only you, with end-to-end or local storage, or the provider too), what the company does with your data (ads, selling it, training AI), and whether you can take everything out in an open format and delete your account.
Only the credential vault. Logins you store there are encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM, and Trezio cannot read them. Ordinary bookmarks and notes are protected by account isolation in the database and HTTPS in transit, not by end-to-end encryption.
No. Trezio's security page states that your data is never sold and never used to train AI models. AI summaries run only when you ask for one on a single item.
Obsidian stores notes as Markdown files on your device. Karakeep and Linkwarden are open source and can run on your own server. Joplin is open source and lets you choose the sync service, with end-to-end encryption.
Export it regularly in an open format such as an HTML bookmarks file, CSV or JSON, keep copies in at least two places, one of them off your main device, and test a restore now and then. In Trezio, Pro exports JSON, HTML and CSV from Settings, Export.
Yes. Pro exports your library as a JSON backup, an HTML bookmarks file or CSV. Import is free on every plan. Vault credentials are never included in an export. The free plan holds 100 items and 5 folders.
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