How Your Budget Data Stays Private: Where It Is Stored and What Is Shared
Budget data is sensitive. Your transactions show where you shop, what you pay for and sometimes where you are. This guide explains in plain language where Budget Dashboard keeps that information, what the optional sync features do, and what we never receive. The short version: your budget lives in your own browser, and we do not run a database of user budgets.
1. Your data is stored in your browser
When you import a bank file or add a transaction, the information is saved in your browser's local storage on the device you are using. The import happens on your device: the file you choose is read by the page and is not uploaded to our servers. Your budgets, categorisation rules, custom categories and settings are stored the same way. Because it is stored locally, the data is tied to that browser on that device. Clearing your browser data, or using the “Clear all saved data” button in Settings, removes it, so export a backup first if you want to keep a copy.
2. “This device only” means exactly that
On the sign-in page you can choose to use the app on this device only, with no account at all. Your transactions are then accessible from that device and browser only. That is the simplest and most private option, but it also means there is no automatic copy: if the device is lost or the browser data is erased, so is the budget, unless you have saved a backup file.
3. Optional sync uses your own cloud storage
If you want the same budget on your phone and your computer, you can sign in with Google or Microsoft. The app then keeps one backup file in a private app folder in your own Google Drive or OneDrive. That folder is reserved for the app, and the permission requested is limited to it, so the app does not get access to your other files. The file goes from your browser to your cloud account; it does not pass through a Budget Dashboard server. You can disconnect sync in Settings at any time, and you can remove the app's access in your Google or Microsoft account.
4. What we do not receive
- We do not receive your transactions, balances, budgets or categories.
- We do not receive your bank file.
- We do not run an account database of our own: signing in is handled by Google or Microsoft.
5. What does leave your device
Being honest about this matters as much as the promises above. A few things do involve other parties:
- Sign-in and sync: if you use them, your browser talks to Google or Microsoft, which can see standard technical information such as your IP address under their own policies.
- The contact form: if you write to us, we receive the details you type in the message.
- Hosting: like any website, the host of our pages may keep standard technical logs.
- Advertising: our pages may show ads served by Google. Google may use cookies for advertising, and where the law requires it we ask for your consent. We do not give advertisers your budget data, and ads are not chosen from it. Our Privacy Policy explains your options.
6. Simple habits that protect you further
- Use a screen lock on your phone and computer, since anyone who can open your browser can open the saved budget.
- Avoid shared or public computers for budgeting, or use “Clear all saved data” before you leave.
- Keep backups in a safe place and delete old copies you no longer need.
- Delete bank CSV files from your downloads folder once they are imported.
- Use two-step verification on your Google or Microsoft account if you turn on sync.
- Be wary of look-alike sites and only use the real address of any tool you trust with financial data.
The bottom line
You decide where your budget lives: only on this device, or also in your own cloud storage. You can check how it works in the Privacy Policy, and you can try the app with sample data before importing anything real. Open Budget Dashboard.
This guide is general information for everyday budgeting, not financial, tax or legal advice. Rules, limits and rates change, so check official sources or ask a qualified professional about your own situation.
Published by Budget Dashboard. Questions or corrections? Contact us.