The short version: BudgetSimpler collects only the data you provide to make the app work. We don't sell your data, show you ads, or share your information with third parties for marketing purposes. Your financial data is private and encrypted.
1. Who We Are
BudgetSimpler is a personal finance tracking application operated by Airix Web Designs LLC, a company run by a single developer (Erik). You can contact me at support@budgetsimpler.com.
2. How I Handle Your Data — In Plain English
I want to be straightforward about what this actually means, because most privacy policies are written to be legally defensible but not actually understandable.
I can technically see your data. Like every SaaS developer running a hosted service, I have database access for operational purposes — debugging issues, responding to support requests, investigating bugs. This is true of every budgeting app that isn't end-to-end encrypted (YNAB, Monarch, Copilot, etc.). The difference isn't whether the capability exists; it's what the policies around it are.
Here's what I commit to:
- I don't read user data unless you've opened a support ticket asking for help with something specific to your account.
- I don't analyze your individual transactions, spending patterns, or income for any purpose — not internal analytics, not product research, not anything.
- I don't share your data with third parties for advertising or marketing. Ever.
- I don't sell your data. I will never sell your data. If BudgetSimpler is ever acquired, users will be notified before any data changes hands and given the option to delete first.
- Aggregate anonymous usage metrics (like "how many users added an expense this week") are fine. Individual-level data analysis isn't.
Why BudgetSimpler is structurally more private than most alternatives:
- No bank credentials stored — bank connection is optional, and even if you use it, BudgetSimpler never receives your bank username or password
- No third-party analytics tools (no Google Analytics, no Mixpanel, no Hotjar) tracking your behavior
- No advertising integrations of any kind
- One developer with database access, not a 50-person team
What I can't honestly claim:
- Your data is NOT end-to-end encrypted. If that's a requirement for you, you'd want a self-hosted tool like Actual Budget or a local-first app. BudgetSimpler stores your data on MongoDB Atlas servers, encrypted at rest but readable by the application.
- "Bank-level security" is a phrase that means nothing, so I won't use it.
3. Information We Collect
We collect the following information when you use BudgetSimpler:
- Account information: Your username, email address, and password (stored as a secure hash — we never store your plain-text password)
- Financial data: Income entries, expense entries, budget goals, recurring expenses, and debt records — either entered manually by you, or, if you opt in to our bank sync feature, imported from transaction data provided by Plaid (see Section 7)
- Bank connection data (only if you opt in): If you connect a bank account through our optional bank sync feature, we receive and store transaction details (amount, date, description, and category), your financial institution's name, and account display details (the account name and its last four digits). We also store an encrypted access token that lets us retrieve this data on your behalf. We never receive or store your bank username, password, or full account number.
- Usage data: Basic information about how you interact with the app to help us improve the service
We do not collect your bank login credentials (username or password), credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or any other sensitive financial identifiers. Bank sync is optional and off by default — if you don't use it, all financial data is entered manually by you. When you do use it, your bank's authentication is handled entirely by Plaid, and BudgetSimpler never sees your bank login.
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and operate the BudgetSimpler service
- Authenticate your account and keep it secure
- Power the AI assistant feature, which uses your financial data to answer your questions (your data is sent to Anthropic's API to generate responses — see Section 7)
- Respond to your support requests
- Improve and develop new features
5. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored in a secured MongoDB database hosted on MongoDB Atlas. All data is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS. Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and are never stored in plain text.
If you use bank sync, the access token that authorizes your bank connection is additionally encrypted at the application level (AES-256) before it is stored, and it is never exposed to your browser.
While we take reasonable measures to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We encourage you to use a strong, unique password for your account.
6. Data Retention
We retain your data for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account and all associated data at any time directly from your Profile page — click 'Delete Account' and confirm with your password. Your account is immediately soft-deleted (hidden from all queries and you're logged out), and all associated data is permanently purged from the database after 30 days. This grace period exists in case of accidental deletion — during that window, you can email support@budgetsimpler.com to recover your account. After 30 days, recovery is impossible. If you prefer to request deletion via email, contact support@budgetsimpler.com and the request will be processed within 30 days.
If you have connected a bank account through bank sync, you can disconnect it at any time from your Settings, which immediately revokes BudgetSimpler's access at Plaid. Deleting your account also revokes any active bank connection.
7. Third-Party Services
BudgetSimpler uses the following third-party services:
- MongoDB Atlas — database hosting. Your financial data is stored on their servers. MongoDB Privacy Policy
- Plaid — powers our optional bank sync feature. If you choose to connect a bank account, Plaid securely handles the connection to your financial institution and provides your transaction data to BudgetSimpler. Plaid — not BudgetSimpler — collects and verifies your bank login credentials; we never see them. Bank sync is entirely optional, and if you don't use it, no information is shared with Plaid. Plaid's handling of your data is governed by their end-user privacy policy. Plaid End User Privacy Policy
- Anthropic — powers the AI chat assistant. When you use the AI chat feature, your question AND relevant financial context (such as recent transactions, budget totals, and category breakdowns) are sent to Anthropic's API to generate a response. Per Anthropic's Commercial Terms of Service, Anthropic does not train their models on data submitted through their API, and your inputs and outputs are treated as your confidential information. Data processing is governed by their Data Processing Addendum. If you have concerns about this, you can choose not to use the AI chat feature — it's optional, and the rest of the app works without it. Anthropic Privacy Policy · Anthropic Commercial Terms
- Render — backend hosting provider. Render Privacy Policy
- Netlify — frontend hosting provider. Netlify Privacy Policy
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with any third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
8. Cookies
BudgetSimpler uses localStorage (a browser storage technology) to keep you logged in and remember your preferences such as dark mode and tour completion status. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or advertising cookies.
9. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your account and all associated data (available directly in your Profile page, or by emailing support@budgetsimpler.com)
- Export your financial data at any time using the CSV export feature
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@budgetsimpler.com.
10. Children's Privacy
BudgetSimpler is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of BudgetSimpler after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
support@budgetsimpler.com