Guides/Compared with…
Elba vs LUKS — full-disk vs per-folder encryption on Linux
LUKS encrypts an entire disk at rest — powerful, but ‘at rest’ ends the moment you log in. Elba encrypts a single folder that stays sealed even while the machine is running. The two are complementary on Linux.
Use LUKS for
Protecting the whole machine against theft when it is powered off.
Use Elba for
Protecting specific folders while you're logged in and using the machine — the vault stays sealed until you enter its password.
Questions people actually ask
- Do I need admin to use Elba on Linux?
- No. LUKS needs admin to configure; Elba runs as your normal user.
- Do they interfere?
- Not at all. LUKS is a lower-level disk feature; Elba is a browser tool.
Take the island
Elba is one HTML file. It runs locally in a Chromium browser, seals a folder with AES-256-GCM, never phones home, and becomes open source on 1 January 2030.
- €49MMXXVI· now ·
- €39MMXXVII2027
- €29MMXXVIII2028
- €19MMXXIX2029
- FreeMMXXX2030
the price falls each year · free to all 1 jan 2030
pay once · no account · nothing leavesCompare Elba with other tools
- Elba vs VeraCrypt: two different jobs, honestly compared
- Elba vs Cryptomator: local folder vs cloud-transparent vault
- Elba vs Boxcryptor (or: what to do now Boxcryptor is gone)
- Elba vs 7-Zip encryption: when a zip is enough (and when it isn't)
- Elba vs BitLocker: disk vs folder, two layers of the same idea
- Elba vs FileVault: macOS full-disk plus folder-level fencing
- Elba vs age: a GUI for the ‘just encrypt this folder’ case
- Elba vs GPG: signing and PKI vs a small local fence
Related guides
- Encrypt files on Linux without root or LUKS
You don't need root or LUKS to seal a folder on Linux. Elba runs in Chromium or Chrome as a normal user, per-folder AES-256-GCM.
- Elba vs FileVault: macOS full-disk plus folder-level fencing
FileVault encrypts your Mac's disk at rest. Elba adds a per-folder fence for the things you want sealed while you're logged in.