Guides/Zero-knowledge
Zero-knowledge encryption, explained without jargon
Zero-knowledge encryption means the service holding your files can't read them, because it never sees the key. Elba is the extreme case: there is no service.
Ordinary zero-knowledge
Tools like Proton Drive or Tresorit hold your encrypted files but not the key. If they're compelled to hand something over, it's opaque bytes.
Elba's shape
Elba doesn't hold your files at all. There is nothing to hand over, because there is no ‘over there’. The maker has no server, no account, no record.
Questions people actually ask
- Is zero-knowledge the same as end-to-end?
- Related. E2E is about two endpoints; zero-knowledge is about the service in the middle. Elba is both, minus the middle.
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 ·
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- €19MMXXIX2029
- FreeMMXXX2030
the price falls each year · free to all 1 jan 2030
pay once · no account · nothing leavesRelated guides
- How client-side encryption works, in one page
Client-side encryption means the key never leaves your device. Here's how it works, why it matters, and how Elba applies it.
- Local file encryption with no cloud, no account
Encrypt files locally on your own machine — no upload, no account, no server ever contacted. One HTML file, AES-256-GCM at rest.
- How to encrypt files without uploading them anywhere
Encrypt files without uploading — no cloud, no account, no server. Elba seals a folder locally with a password only you know.