Stack
A privacy-first productivity stack for 2026
Nine tools chosen for properties you can check: end-to-end encryption, local-first storage, open-source code, self-hosting and offline use. Each pick says which of those applies to it and where the property stops.
Updated Oct 4, 2026 · 9 tools · How we pick
Privacy claims are easy to make, so this stack is built on five properties that can be checked: end-to-end encryption, local-first storage, open-source code, self-hosting and working offline. Every tool below carries at least one of those tags in our directory, and each pick says which ones, because none of them has all five.
The properties are not interchangeable. An end-to-end encrypted service still runs on someone else's servers, a local-first app keeps the data on your own device, and self-hosting means running the server yourself. Some picks also qualify only in a particular mode, such as a paid sync add-on or a self-hosted edition. Where that is the case, the pick says so.
Some jobs are missing on purpose. No AI meeting notetaker, AI assistant, CRM, project management tool or screen recorder in our directory carries any of the five tags, so the stack leaves those jobs out instead of filling them with a tool that does not qualify. The picks run from the most central job to the most optional. Prices come from the vendors unless a pick says otherwise.
The shortlist
- 1ObsidianFor notesFree plan · from $4/mo
- 2Proton MailFor emailFree plan · from $3.99/mo
- 3BitwardenFor passwordsFree plan · from $1.65/mo
- 4OmniFocusFor tasksFree trial · from $74.99 one-time
- 5Cal.comFor booking linksFree plan · from $12/mo
- 6n8nFor automationFree plan · from €20/mo
- 7SuperwhisperFor dictationFree plan · from $8.49/mo
- 8MacWhisperFor transcribing calls and recordingsFree plan · from €65 one-time
- 9Cold Turkey BlockerFor blocking distractionsFree plan · from $45 one-time
The picks in detail
- 01
Obsidian
For notesMarkdown note-taking app that keeps your files on your deviceObsidian is tagged local-first and works offline: notes are saved as plain Markdown files on your own device, so they stay readable in other editors and available without a connection. The app is free without limits and needs no account or sign-up. The end-to-end encrypted tag applies to Obsidian Sync, the paid add-on that keeps devices in step, from $4 per user a month billed annually.
Worth knowing: Syncing between devices is a paid add-on, Sync Standard covers 1 vault with 1 GB of storage and a 5 MB file size limit, and there is no web app.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $4 per user / month, billed annually (Sync Standard add-on)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 02
Proton Mail
For emailEnd-to-end encrypted email service based in SwitzerlandProton Mail carries two of the tags: end-to-end encrypted and open source. Messages are encrypted so that only you can read them, and Proton states that not even it can read your email. It also blocks email trackers, creates hide-my-email aliases (10 on the free plan) and includes Proton Calendar, with 3 personal calendars on Free. The free plan covers 1 address with up to 1 GB of mail storage, and Mail Plus is $3.99 a month billed every 12 months.
Worth knowing: The free plan is limited to 1 address and 150 sent messages a day, and the desktop apps, custom domains and IMAP/SMTP access through Bridge need a paid plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $3.99 per month, billed every 12 months ($47.88); $4.99 billed monthly
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- 03
Bitwarden
For passwordsOpen-source password manager with a free plan and self-hostingBitwarden carries three of the five tags: open source, end-to-end encrypted and self-hostable. It can be deployed on premises or in a private cloud in place of Bitwarden's own, and Families and Enterprise organizations can be moved to a self-hosted server. The free plan stores unlimited logins and passkeys on unlimited devices, and Premium is $1.65 a month billed annually.
Worth knowing: The free plan leaves out file attachments, the integrated authenticator, vault health reports and emergency access, and individual plans share items with only one other user.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $1.65 per month, billed annually at $19.80 (Premium)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 04
OmniFocus
For tasksProject-based task manager for Apple devices, with a web companionOmniFocus is the only to-do list app in our directory tagged end-to-end encrypted. The vendor describes syncing as end-to-end encrypted whether it runs through the free Omni Sync Server or a server of your own. It organizes actions into projects, folders and tags on Mac, iPhone and iPad, and it can be bought once: a v4 Standard license is $74.99, against $99.99 a year for the subscription.
Worth knowing: Native apps are for Apple devices only, there is no free plan after the 14-day trial, and the web version requires Omni Sync Server plus the subscription or a $4.99 a month add-on.
- Price
- $74.99 one-time for a v4 Standard license, or $99.99 per year by subscription
- Runs on
- macOS, iOS, Web
- 05
Cal.com
For booking linksScheduling platform with a free plan, API and embedsCal.com is tagged self-hostable, with a caveat. What you can run on your own server without a license is Cal.diy, an MIT-licensed community edition with the commercial code removed; it has no hosted version and needs no license key. Cal.com's hosted service has a free plan that gives one user unlimited event types and calendar connections, but that is the cloud product, not the self-hosted one.
Worth knowing: Cal.com's production code went closed source in April 2026, and Cal.diy has no Teams, Organizations, Workflows or SSO and is recommended for personal, non-production use only.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $12 per user / month, billed yearly ($16 billed monthly)
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- 06
n8n
For automationWorkflow automation and AI agents you can self-hostn8n is tagged self-hostable: it runs on your own infrastructure with Docker, including air-gapped setups, so the workflows that pass data between your apps can sit on a server you control. The self-hosted Community Edition is free and has almost the complete feature set. n8n describes its license as fair-code, with the source code available on GitHub.
Worth knowing: You run and maintain the Community Edition yourself, it leaves out SSO, projects, environments, Git version control and workflow sharing, and the hosted n8n Cloud has no free plan.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from €20 / month, billed annually, for 2,500 executions (n8n Cloud Starter)
- Runs on
- Web
- 07
Superwhisper
For dictationVoice-to-text app with offline models and custom AI modesSuperwhisper is tagged local-first and works offline. Its free plan runs local Whisper models entirely on your device, so dictation works with no connection and the audio is not uploaded. That covers unlimited dictation into any app on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with custom vocabulary and text replacements included.
Worth knowing: Only the local models keep audio on the device, since the cloud voice models on Pro send audio to hosted servers, and AI-powered modes and file transcription also need Pro, at $8.49 a month.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $8.49 per month, billed monthly ($84.99 billed yearly)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, iOS, Android
- 08
MacWhisper
For transcribing calls and recordingsMac transcription and dictation app that runs models locallyMacWhisper is tagged local-first and works offline. It transcribes audio and video files with models that run on the Mac, so recordings are processed offline and do not leave the computer, and it can record Zoom, Teams, Webex, Skype and Discord calls in the background and transcribe the result. The free version covers file transcription in 100 languages and system-wide dictation; Pro is a one-time €65.
Worth knowing: It is Mac only and needs macOS 14 or later, speaker recognition and batch transcription require Pro, and AI summaries rely on a provider you connect, such as OpenAI or a local model through Ollama.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from €65 one-time, per license
- Runs on
- macOS
- 09
Cold Turkey Blocker
For blocking distractionsWebsite and app blocker for Windows and Mac with strict locksCold Turkey Blocker is tagged local-first: its settings and usage statistics are stored locally on the computer, and the statistics can be exported as JSON. It is a desktop app for Windows and macOS that blocks websites on a timer. The free version covers website blocking, website exceptions, timed blocks and statistics; application blocking, schedules and the locks that stop you switching a block off are in Pro.
Worth knowing: It supports Windows and macOS only, and the vendor's pricing page did not show the Pro price as readable text; a third-party roundup puts it at $45, paid once.
- Price
- Free plan; paid plans from $45 one-time purchase (Blocker Pro)
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Browser extension
How to choose
Decide which property you actually need
End-to-end encryption is the property to look for when your data sits on a vendor's servers: here that means Proton Mail, Bitwarden, OmniFocus's sync and Obsidian's paid Sync. Local-first tools keep the data on your own device to begin with: Obsidian, Superwhisper, MacWhisper and Cold Turkey Blocker. Self-hosting puts the server in your hands: Bitwarden, n8n and Cal.com's community edition, Cal.diy.
Check what is open source, and what is not
Only Proton Mail and Bitwarden carry the open-source tag here. n8n describes its license as fair-code with the source on GitHub, and Cal.com's open edition is the separate Cal.diy. Obsidian, OmniFocus, Superwhisper, MacWhisper and Cold Turkey Blocker are in this stack for other properties. If open-source notes matter most, Logseq is an open-source outliner that stores notes as plain-text files on your device.
Watch where a paid or hosted option changes the picture
Several picks qualify only in a particular mode. Superwhisper keeps audio on the device with its local models, but the cloud voice models on Pro send audio to hosted servers. Obsidian's files stay on your device, and its encrypted sync costs extra. n8n and Cal.com are self-hosted only if you run them yourself; n8n Cloud and Cal.com's own plans are hosted by the vendor.
Check your devices before you commit
Obsidian, Proton Mail and Bitwarden cover Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. Superwhisper runs on Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android. OmniFocus is for Apple devices, MacWhisper is a Mac app with a separate iPhone and iPad product, and Cold Turkey Blocker supports Windows and macOS only.
Common questions
What does local-first mean?
A local-first app keeps your data on your own device instead of on the vendor's servers. In this stack that describes Obsidian, which saves notes as Markdown files on your device; Superwhisper and MacWhisper, which run speech models on the device; and Cold Turkey Blocker, which stores its settings and statistics locally.
Is Obsidian end-to-end encrypted?
Obsidian stores notes as plain Markdown files on your own device. End-to-end encryption applies to Obsidian Sync, a paid add-on from $4 per user a month billed annually. If you want encrypted sync in a free app, Anytype encrypts content before it syncs and can sync through your own infrastructure, though its team announced a successor in September 2026 and said development of the current app will slow down.
Is Proton Mail free?
Yes, with limits. Proton Free covers 1 email address, up to 1 GB of mail storage, 150 sent messages a day and 3 personal calendars. Mail Plus is $3.99 a month billed every 12 months and adds 15 GB of storage, 10 addresses, 1 custom domain and Bridge for other email clients.
Can voice dictation work without sending audio to the cloud?
Yes. Superwhisper's free plan runs local Whisper models entirely on the device, so dictation works offline and audio is not uploaded. MacWhisper also transcribes with models that run on the Mac. Superwhisper's cloud voice models, which come with Pro, do send audio to hosted servers.
Is Cal.com still open source?
Cal.com announced in April 2026 that its production code was going closed source. The open-source edition is now Cal.diy, an MIT-licensed fork you host yourself, without Teams, Organizations, Workflows or SSO. Cal.com recommends it for personal, non-production use only, and self-hosting the commercial product requires an enterprise license.
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