Questions
The short answers.
Twelve things people write in to ask. Straight replies, in the order they usually come up.
- What exactly is Elba?
- A single HTML file that seals one folder on your computer with a passphrase only you know. Open it in a Chromium browser (Chrome, Edge, Brave), enter your password, and the folder is readable. Close it, and it is encrypted again.
- Does Elba work offline?
- Yes. Elba never makes a network connection — its Content-Security-Policy forbids the browser from opening one. Once you have the file, the internet is optional forever.
- What operating systems does it run on?
- Any machine that can run a modern Chromium browser: macOS, Windows, and Linux. The launchers included in the package handle the details, but you can also just double-click Elba.html.
- What if I lose my password?
- The island is gone. There is no reset, no recovery, no support line that can let you back in. That isn't a flaw we forgot to fix — it's the proof there's no back door. Choose a passphrase you'll remember, and write it somewhere safe outside the fence.
- Can I use Elba with Dropbox, iCloud, or another cloud service?
- Yes. Because Elba encrypts the contents of your folder at rest, the cloud only ever sees sealed files. Keep the Elba.html itself alongside them, and you can access your island from any machine you trust.
- How is Elba different from VeraCrypt, Cryptomator, or BitLocker?
- Elba is one file, no install, no account, no ecosystem. It's designed for a person, not a fleet — for the folder of writing, drawings, or documents you want to keep to yourself. It uses the same cipher family (AES-256-GCM) as the tools above, in a simpler package.
- What do I actually receive when I buy?
- A .zip containing Elba.html, three launchers (macOS, Windows, Linux), a printable manual, a full LICENSE, THIRD-PARTY-LICENSES, CHECKSUMS.txt, and a second complete copy in gift/ to give to someone. That's it. No account, no login.
- Can I share Elba with a friend?
- Every purchase ships with a second, complete copy in gift/, meant for exactly this. Beyond that, please buy a copy for anyone who'd use one — until 1 January 2030, when Elba becomes free for everyone under MIT.
- Why does the price fall each year?
- Elba has a planned death: on 1 January 2030 it becomes open source under MIT. The price is the value of the time it is still ours to sell, and that time shrinks each year. €49 today, less next year, free in 2030.
- How do I know it's really as private as you say?
- You don't have to take our word for it. Open Elba.html in any text editor and search for the string 'connect-src' — you'll find 'connect-src \'none\'', an instruction to your browser to forbid the file from opening any network connection. Every claim we make is checkable on your own machine.
- Is there a refund?
- Fourteen days, no questions asked. Write to refunds@elba.works and we'll return your money.
- What happens on 1 January 2030?
- The full source of Elba becomes public under the MIT licence. Anyone can read it, fork it, ship their own copy, or teach with it. Your existing copy keeps working exactly as it did the day before. Nothing about the file changes — only its licence.
Not here? Write to hello@elba.works. A person reads every message. If you'd rather read the whole picture, the manual and the verify page are next.