Windscribe is building an ecosystem of privacy-first apps – but it doesn't want to own them

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Search, notes, email aliases, and photo storage join the party – all as separate services

Windscribe, Kagi, and Ente mascots over a space background
Image credit: Pixabay (Image credit: Windscribe)
  • Windscribe partners with privacy-first tools beyond VPNs
  • Separate services are meant to keep your data even safer, said Windscribe
  • Windscribe Pro users can claim partner discounts

Windscribe VPN is teaming up with Kagi, Notesnook, Addy.io, and Ente in a new privacy-focused alliance. The goal is to make it easier to build a privacy stack that goes beyond what even the best VPN service can offer.

Instead of bundling everything into one platform, Windscribe is giving you access to completely independent services. The goal is true compartmentalization across multiple services, maximizing user privacy.

Windscribe Pro subscribers can claim partner discounts and deals, building their own security and productivity suite that works for them. The partnership covers notetaking, email aliasing, and photo/video storage, among others.

Windscribe is betting that a decentralized set of specialized services can be a safer, more resilient alternative to all-in-one ecosystems.

Windscribe CEO: 'Privacy is a cornerstone of freedom'

The partnership announcement highlights that by splitting up these services across multiple vendors, each company is able to offer a better, more privacy-focused experience.

Bundling everything into one means that possible breaches affect even more of your data. When you use different tools with different passwords and 2FA for each, you're safer than when you rely on a single tool for everything.

"Privacy is a cornerstone of freedom, and with this partnership, we're taking another step toward an internet where users have control, not corporations. By supporting independent, specialized services, we ensure that privacy isn't just a feature, it's a foundation," said Windscribe's CEO, Yegor Sak, in the official announcement.

Windscribe's Gang

Windscribe has now launched a brand new "Windscribe's Gang" page, featuring its list of partner companies that Pro users can get major discounts on. Each provides a different service, and they're meant to be supplemental – they can't replace a VPN client, nor do they try to.

Addy.io is an open-source anonymous email forwarding tool. It lets you set up a different alias for each service, saving your main email from spam.

Control D is a DNS service that blocks threats, malicious content, spam, and ads on a DNS level. Meanwhile, Ente offers end-to-end encrypted storage for your photos and videos.

Kagi is an ad-free search engine that lets you escape the overwhelming Google ecosystem. Windscribe's last partner is Notesnook, a private, encrypted notes app. It's a simple tool with a focus on security.

The entire ecosystem consists of separate tools that Windscribe Pro subscribers can get substantial discounts on right away. These include:

  • Addy.io: 25% off for the first year of Addy.io, applicable to the Yearly Lite and Yearly Pro plans
  • Control D: 50% off the Full Control plan
  • Ente: 25% off on all plans for the first 12 months of your subscription
  • Kagi: No discount, but a free 3-month trial to the Kagi Professional plan
  • Notesnook: A 10% lifetime discount on the yearly Notesnook Pro plan

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Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Contributing Writer

Monica is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. She writes about the latest developments in computing, which means anything from computer chips made out of paper to cutting-edge desktop processors.

GPUs are her main area of interest, and nothing thrills her quite like that time every couple of years when new graphics cards hit the market.

She built her first PC nearly 20 years ago, and dozens of builds later, she’s always planning out her next build (or helping her friends with theirs). During her career, Monica has written for many tech-centric outlets, including Digital Trends, SlashGear, WePC, and Tom’s Hardware.

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