Protected No Matter How You Keep the Plan Current.
Start with manual entry and CSV imports on the free plan. Paid subscribers may optionally use Liberty Gold through Plaid for supported bank and credit-card accounts. Supported sensitive transaction fields are encrypted before database storage in either workflow.
Encryption In Transit & At Rest
Site traffic is protected with HTTPS/TLS, and supported sensitive transaction fields are stored using AES-256 encryption at rest. This is encryption at rest, not end-to-end encryption.
Connection Is Optional
The free plan has no bank connection. Manual entry and CSV remain available. When automatic connections are enabled, paid subscribers can choose Plaid for supported accounts - that access is strictly read-only, and Liberty cannot move money or initiate transfers.
Zero Ad Selling
We do not sell your data. We do not run ads against your spending habits. You are not the product.
Complete Data Ownership
You can export your transactions to CSV anytime, or permanently wipe your account and all associated data with one click.
“I built Liberty Budget because a useful budget should not force everyone into the same data workflow. You can prove the plan manually, then choose automation only if it earns your trust and helps you stay consistent. Every privacy decision still starts with one question: would I be comfortable if this were my own data?”
— Simon Salaev, Founder, Liberty Budget · Why I built it
How Your Data Is Protected
What we collect
- Your email address
- Your Recovery Scan answers and personalized-plan preferences
- Your budget categories, dates, and savings goal names
- Transaction data you enter or upload, with supported sensitive fields encrypted at rest
- If you opt into Liberty Gold, linked institution/account identifiers and financial data Plaid makes available for the selected products
What we never collect
- Your bank credentials typed into Liberty Budget
- Transaction data for advertising or sale to data brokers
- A bank connection to use the free manual/CSV budgeting workflow
What encryption actually means
When manual, CSV, or eligible Plaid data becomes a Liberty Budget ledger transaction, the server
processes supported fields over protected connections. Site traffic uses HTTPS/TLS. A per-account
Fernet data key encrypts supported descriptions, merchant names, and amounts in the main ledger.
The data key is stored in wrapped form, including a password-protected wrapper derived with
PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 and a server-controlled recovery wrapper. We never store your password in
readable form. Encrypted fields look like gAAAAAbpmM5x... at rest. Paid Liberty Gold
access tokens and provider-synchronization records use separate service-managed encryption so
authorized background sync and disconnect processing can run.
Can Liberty Budget ever see my transactions?
The application decrypts transaction fields at runtime to provide signed-in views, reports, and support for account recovery. Access is limited by application authorization and operational controls; this is encryption at rest, not end-to-end encryption.
What happens if I forget my password?
You can reset your password and keep your transaction history. Liberty Budget uses wrapped encryption keys, so the server can recover and re-wrap your data key for the new password while encrypted transaction history remains intact.
Compare Liberty's Two Data Paths
| Control | Free Manual / CSV | Paid Liberty Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Bank authorization | None | Only when you opt in through Plaid Link |
| Ongoing bank connection | None | Optional; disconnect from Liberty controls |
| Data-at-rest protection | Supported sensitive fields encrypted | Main ledger uses per-account encryption; provider-sync records are separately encrypted; Plaid also processes connected data |
| Update timing | Controlled by you | Automatic when supported and available |
| Personal data sales | Liberty does not sell personal data | Same Liberty promise |
| Ad-free | Yes | Yes |
| Published retention policy | Varies by provider | Retained while the account exists |
A Clear Data-Retention Schedule
Retention practices vary across financial apps. Here is Liberty Budget's current account lifecycle.
Free Plan
Manual entry and CSV budgeting, free forever - no card, no trial clock.
Liberty Gold
Keep manual/CSV access and optionally connect supported accounts through Plaid. Cancel online; access runs through period end.
Deletion on Request
Free accounts are retained while the account exists. Delete anytime from Settings or the web profile; paid-subscription data follows the same rule.
Your data stays while your account exists.
Liberty Budget retains free-account records while the account exists; deletion happens on request, at any time, from Settings or the web profile. Paid-subscription data follows the same rule.
FAQ - Your Privacy, Simply Explained
Does Liberty Budget require my bank login?
No bank connection is used for manual/CSV budgeting. When automatic connections are enabled, authorization happens through Plaid Link and the institution's supported flow; Liberty does not ask you to type bank credentials into a Liberty form.
Can I keep using CSV instead of Plaid?
Yes. Manual entry and supported CSV imports remain available. Automatic connections, when enabled, are an optional paid convenience for supported accounts, and coverage varies.
What encryption standard does Liberty Budget use?
Fernet symmetric encryption protects supported transaction fields at rest in the main budget ledger. Per-account data keys are wrapped using password-derived protection based on PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 with 480,000 iterations, plus a server-controlled recovery wrapper. Plaid access tokens and provider-synchronization records are encrypted under a separate, service-managed Fernet key. Google Play purchase tokens use another independent Fernet key.
Is my payment information stored on your servers?
No. Stripe processes web payments and Google Play processes Android subscriptions. Liberty Budget stores the billing identifiers and encrypted purchase token needed to verify access, but we do not receive or store your credit card number.
What happens to my data if I cancel?
Cancel a web subscription from your Profile or manage an Android subscription through Google Play from the in-app Gold screen. Paid access normally remains active through the current billing period. If you have an automatic connection, Liberty stops new syncs and queues it for removal when access ends; provider outages can delay a retry. You can request permanent account deletion at any time.
Can I permanently delete my data?
Yes. Account deletion permanently wipes encrypted transactions, categories, goals, and account records. This cannot be undone.
Start With a Scan. Choose Your Data Path Later.
No payment card or bank connection required.
Start My Free Scan