Why Budge Uses End-to-End Encryption to Protect Your Finances

A while back, one of our early users asked a question that stuck with us:

“If Budge helps me track my money, can Budge see my money?”

That question became the north star for how we built Budge’s security model.
Because when it comes to personal finance, privacy isn’t optional — it’s everything.

Our Promise: Your Data Stays on Your Device

Budge is built with a zero-knowledge architecture, meaning your sensitive financial data is encrypted on your device before it ever reaches our servers.
We simply store the encrypted version (called “ciphertext”), not the readable data itself.

Here’s the short version:

Your device creates the key.
Your device encrypts the data.
Our servers never see or store that key.

So even if someone got access to our database, all they would find is encrypted, unreadable data.

End-to-End Encryption, the Budge Way

We use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) powered by modern cryptography — the same type trusted by secure messaging apps and password managers.

When you create your Budge account, your device generates a unique encryption key right inside your browser or phone. That key never leaves your device.
Every budget, transaction, or goal you add is encrypted locally using this key.
The encrypted data travels through a secure HTTPS connection and stays encrypted even on our servers.

Only your device can decrypt it — not us, not anyone else.

Passkeys and PINs: Simplicity Meets Security

Budge supports two secure login methods:

Passkeys (recommended): Your device uses a built-in, hardware-secured passkey to protect your data. It’s tied to your device and domain, making phishing or credential leaks nearly impossible.
PINs (fallback): If your device doesn’t support passkeys yet, Budge uses a strong PIN-based protection with industry-standard key derivation and encryption.

Either way, the end result is the same — you’re the only one who can unlock your financial data.

Why It Matters

Most finance or budgeting apps store your numbers in plain text on their servers — sometimes anonymized, often not.
That means employees, third-party tools, or even advertisers might gain access to insights about your spending habits.

We decided to take a different route.
With Budge, your budgets, transactions, and goals are yours alone.
We can’t read them, sell them, or “analyze them for product improvement.”
We just don’t have access — by design.

Built on Proven Security Standards

Without going too deep into the tech stack, here’s what powers Budge’s privacy layer:

AES-GCM encryption — a trusted encryption standard for sensitive data.
Strong device-based key generation — your encryption keys are created and held securely on your device.
Secure transport (HTTPS/TLS) — data is protected in transit as well as at rest.
Integrity checks — every encrypted record includes tamper detection to ensure authenticity.

These are the same building blocks used by major security systems worldwide — adapted for personal finance.

Your Money. Your Data. Your Control.

At Budge, we believe that trust is built through transparency.
You deserve to know how your data is handled — and more importantly, how it’s protected.

So the next time you add an expense or savings goal inside Budge, remember this:
It’s encrypted right there, on your device, before it ever touches the internet.

We can help you plan, save, and grow — but we’ll never look inside your wallet.
Because your finances are exactly that: yours.

Your money. Your data. Your control. That’s Budge.