PrivateBooks collects nothing.
Not a reassurance — an architecture. The app has no servers to send anything to, and no code that would make the call.
Last updated July 31, 2026
The short version
- The app creates no account and asks for no personal details.
- It makes no network calls of its own — no telemetry, analytics, crash reporting, update checks or ads. This is verified by network-denied tests in continuous integration, which fail the build if a networking import appears in the application source.
- Your books, receipts and settings stay in a folder on your own device.
- We operate no server that receives your data, so there is nothing for us to disclose, sell, lose or be compelled to hand over.
- You can delete everything by deleting the app's data folder.
What the app does on your computer
PrivateBooks runs a small web server bound to 127.0.0.1 — your own machine only — and
shows it in a desktop window. That loopback server is how the interface talks to the bookkeeping
engine; it is not reachable from your network or the internet, and it requires a token generated
fresh each time the app launches.
Statement files you import are parsed locally. PDF parsing runs in an isolated worker process with time and memory limits, because statement PDFs come from outside and are treated as untrusted input.
Where your data lives
| Edition | Location |
|---|---|
| Windows (Store) | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\…\LocalState |
| Windows (direct) | %APPDATA%\PrivateBooks |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/PrivateBooks |
| Running from source | ./data beside the code |
Each folder holds one SQLite database, your attached receipts, and a local key used only to sign the app's own session cookie.
What others process — not us
Some things around the app involve other companies. None of them receive your books.
- Microsoft handles purchase, install and updates for the Store edition, under the Microsoft privacy statement. We receive aggregate sales figures, never your identity.
- Apple would handle the same for any Mac App Store edition, under the Apple privacy policy.
- GitHub hosts the direct download and the public issue tracker, under the GitHub privacy statement. Downloading a release means contacting GitHub, as with any download.
- Cloudflare serves this website, under the Cloudflare privacy policy. This site sets no cookies, runs no analytics, and loads no third-party resources — the fonts are served from this domain.
Diagnostics you choose to share
The app can generate a diagnostic report to attach to a support email. It is redacted by design: it contains version, platform and configuration details, never your transactions, business names or amounts. It is written to a file you choose and sent only if you send it.
Data you can delete
Delete the data folder above and your books are gone. There is no server-side copy, no soft delete, and no retention period, because there is no server. Back up first if you might want them again — we cannot recover them for you.
Children
PrivateBooks is a business tool intended for adults and is not directed at children under 13. It collects no personal information from anyone, including children.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes materially, the updated date above changes and the revision is described in the release notes. We will not quietly start collecting data — doing so would contradict the app's architecture and its automated tests.
Contact
Privacy questions: privacy@privatebooks.org.
Security issues, privately: security@privatebooks.org.
Anything else: support.
PrivateBooks is published by Arc & Ledger Accounting.