Guides/Writers
File encryption for writers and novelists
A manuscript is a private thing until it isn't. Elba is a small local tool that keeps your draft folder sealed while you write, without pretending to be a writing app itself.
Plain files, sealed folder
Keep chapters as .md or .txt files. Point Elba at the folder. Close when you're done. The folder is unreadable at rest, readable in one click while you work.
Not another writing app
Use iA Writer, Scrivener, Ulysses, or plain VS Code — whatever you like. Elba just adds a lock on the folder they open into.
Questions people actually ask
- Will Scrivener projects work?
- Yes — Scrivener projects are folders. Seal the parent folder with Elba.
- Can I back up sealed drafts to the cloud?
- Yes. The sealed folder is safe to sync to iCloud, Dropbox or a USB drive.
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 leavesRelated guides
- How to encrypt journal entries so nobody else can read them
A small, offline way to encrypt your journal. Elba seals a folder of daily entries with one password — no cloud, no account.
- How to encrypt a folder with a password (properly)
The right way to encrypt a folder with a password: local, strong algorithm, and no recovery link. Elba does exactly that.
- File encryption for researchers: sealing research data on your own machine
Interview transcripts, participant data, unpublished results. A one-file, offline way to seal a research folder with AES-256-GCM.