Proton, the maker of the private and secure ProtonMail, has acquired Standard Notes, adding an end-to-end encrypted notes app to its suite of tools.

Proton is the leading private and secure email service, and has been expanding its portfolio of apps to provide a secure ecosystem of tools for the privacy-conscious. Standard Notes is the latest addition to the suite, with Proton acquiring the app.

Standard Notes is an open-source, end-to-end encrypted notes app that relies on paying subscribers rather than ads, data mining, tracking, or analytics. The company goes through regular audits to ensure its service is secure.

We believe the Internet should do a simple thing: Keep your private information private. No one should be able to touch what you think or write and do, but you. And we are out to prove that far too many companies mismanage your information for no other reason than laziness and greed.

We will never ask you to take our word for protecting your privacy by burying lax standards in user agreements carefully crafted so nobody understands them. Instead, we will proudly present peer-reviewed and auditable policies that the entire world can see, touch and debate.

The company says joining Proton was a natural choice, given the similar goals of the two companies.

Our goal with Standard Notes has always been to build a principled service that can endure. Which is why we’re excited to announce we’re joining forces with Proton, the Swiss organization behind the end-to-end encrypted email service Proton Mail (as well as Proton VPN, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass).

Proton is one of the few organizations that understands the challenges we face at Standard Notes. It’s also a self-sustaining, mission-driven organization that has rejected venture capital so it can focus on serving its community and protecting the privacy of people around the world. By combining forces, both the Proton and Standard Notes communities can ensure the internet of tomorrow has a place where you can be free to think and act without the worry that someone is looking over your shoulders.

A big part of the deal is that Standard Notes will continue to operate in the same way its users have come to expect, including remaining open-source, continuing to undergo independent audits, existing plans and prices will stay the same, and new features will continue to be developed and added.

Standard Notes says joining Proton will help it evolve faster and continue to serve its customers better.

In Proton, we’ve found a partner who shares our focus on protecting privacy. Its teams of engineers are world-class in delivering powerful, user-first technologies that incorporate end-to-end and zero-access encryption. This should help us deliver new features even faster (even though we’ll never lose our love for simple and straightforward product design). Proton also has a fully staffed support team that can provide dependable guidance to any Standard Notes user who gets lost or needs help.