Privacy Policy

Effective: November 3, 2026 · Version 2.2

Budgii is a personal finance app operated by Joshua Colson (“we”, “us”). This policy covers the Budgii desktop app, the optional Budgii Cloud account (including the web app and bank connections), and the budgii website. Contact: budgii.official@gmail.com.

The short version

• The desktop app works without an account, and your data stays on your device. We do not receive your statements, transactions or budgets unless you turn on a cloud feature.
• We do not sell your data, show ads, or use tracking or analytics tools.
• If you create a Budgii Cloud account, we store what that feature needs to work, protect it, and delete it when you delete your account.

1. Using the desktop app without an account

Everything you import or create (statements, transactions, accounts, budgets, rules, receipts and attachments) is stored in a database on your device. Receipt and attachment files, and the original statement files the app keeps so you can open them later (Settings, Data, “Keep original statement files”, on by default), are encrypted on disk. The database file itself is protected by your operating system’s account security (for example FileVault or BitLocker); the app shows whether database encryption is active on its Security page. An optional app lock passcode (stored only as a salted hash) keeps others from opening the app on your device.

Encrypted backups (.budgii files) and device-to-device sync through a folder you choose (for example iCloud Drive or Dropbox) are encrypted before they leave the app. We never receive them; your storage provider’s terms apply to that folder.

In this mode the app contacts our servers only to check for updates. That request includes the app version and your operating system and processor type, plus the network information every internet request carries (such as your IP address). Merchant names are recognized from data shipped with the app; no transaction details are sent anywhere.

2. AI features

By default, AI categorization and extraction run on your own device (Ollama). If you choose a hosted AI provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenRouter or a custom endpoint), you supply your own API key and must turn on consent in Settings first. While it is on, the text needed for the feature you use (for example transaction descriptions, statement text, receipt images, or your assistant question with the financial data needed to answer it) is sent directly from your device to that provider under your agreement with them. We do not receive it. You can turn this off at any time.

3. Budgii Cloud account (optional)

When you create an account we collect your email address. Sign-in is handled by Amazon Cognito; we never see or store your password. We store your account record (email, sign-in identifier, plan). You can sign in with Google or Apple instead of a password. If you do, Google or Apple tells us your email address and name (Apple may give a private relay address that forwards to your inbox); we never receive your Google or Apple password, and their own privacy policies apply to that sign-in.

If you use cloud features we also store:

• Your financial data that you sync to or enter in the web app: accounts, transactions, balances, budgets, goals, holdings, receipts, attachments and similar records. Each record is tied to your account and kept separate from other users’ data.
• Original statement files, only if you turn on “Keep original statement files” for your cloud account (it is off by default): encrypted and stored with your account so you can open or download them later. Otherwise a statement you upload is read, its transactions are saved, and the file is discarded.
• Bank connections (premium). If you connect a bank, Plaid Inc. collects your bank credentials on its own screen; we never see them. We receive account details, balances and transactions for the accounts you choose, and an access token that we store encrypted. See Plaid’s End User Privacy Policy at https://plaid.com/legal/#end-user-privacy-policy.
• Billing (premium). Payments are handled by PayPal. We never see your card or bank details. We store your PayPal subscription identifier, plan and subscription status.

We use this information only to provide and secure the service, to process payments, and to respond to you. We do not use your financial data for advertising or to build profiles, and we do not sell or share it for those purposes.

4. Service providers

We share data only with providers that run the service for us, each limited to what its role needs:

A hosted AI provider receives data only if you configure it yourself (section 2). We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, safety or security of users or the service.

5. Security

Connections to our servers use TLS. Cloud data is stored with AWS and Neon, which encrypt stored data. Bank access tokens are additionally encrypted by us with a key kept separate from the database. Access to production systems is limited to the operator and protected with multi-factor authentication. No system is perfectly secure; if a breach affects your personal information, we will notify you as the law requires.

6. How long we keep data

• Desktop data stays on your device until you delete it.
• Cloud data is kept while your account exists. Disconnecting a bank immediately revokes our access at Plaid and deletes the stored token; transactions already imported remain until you delete them or your account.
• Deleting your account (Settings, Account, Delete cloud account) immediately cancels subscriptions, revokes bank connections, deletes your files and all of your cloud records (including our billing records), and deletes your sign-in. Data on your own devices is not affected. Copies in our database provider’s backups are removed as those backups expire, within 30 days.
• Payment providers keep transaction records as their own policies and tax laws require.
• Kept original statement files are deleted with their statement, account or profile, or when you delete them in Settings, Data.
• Server logs are kept for at most 30 days and are used for security and troubleshooting.

7. Your choices and rights

You can view and edit your data in the app, export all of it (Settings, Data, Export everything), and delete your cloud account yourself at any time. You can also email budgii.official@gmail.com to access, correct, delete or export your data, or to ask a question; we respond within 30 days. Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR or California law) you may have additional rights, including to object to or restrict processing and to complain to a data protection authority. We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

8. Cookies and local storage

We do not use advertising or analytics cookies. The app and website store sign-in tokens and display preferences in your browser’s storage so that they work. The bank connection screen is provided by Plaid and may use its own storage.

9. Children

Budgii is not intended for children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect their information.

10. International users

We are based in the United States and our providers process data in the United States.

11. Changes

If we change this policy we will update the effective date and, for material changes, tell you in the app or by email before they take effect.

12. Contact

Joshua Colson · budgii.official@gmail.com