FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers about privacy, file formats, plans, offline use and fixing common problems. If your question isn't here, email [email protected].
Privacy and security
Does Vault Studio Pro upload my documents to a server?
No. Your browser reads the file from your disk, and the editors, the PDF engine, text recognition and encryption all run inside the browser tab. There is no conversion server. Each page also carries a Content-Security-Policy that tells your browser to refuse connections to any site other than vaultstudiopro.com. The security page explains how this works and what it can and can’t protect against.
What does your server ever receive from the app?
Apart from the app’s own files, only two requests: after checkout the app sends the Stripe checkout session ID to collect your license key, and near the end of a subscription period it sends your license key to get a renewed one. Neither request contains documents, file names or anything about how you use the app. Our host, Cloudflare, may keep standard request logs such as IP addresses; see the privacy policy.
Are my projects encrypted while they are stored in the browser?
No. Autosaved projects live in your browser’s storage (IndexedDB and localStorage) without encryption, so anyone who can use your browser profile can open them. On a shared computer, export your work and delete the projects when you are done. When you need an encrypted copy, export a password-protected .vault file.
How are .vault files encrypted?
With AES-256-GCM, using a key derived from your password with PBKDF2-SHA-256 (600,000 iterations, OWASP’s current recommendation, and a random salt for each file). The file’s name, type and size are encrypted along with the file — only a format tag and a timestamp are visible from outside. GCM also detects tampering. The password never leaves your device, and we can’t recover a forgotten one, so use a long passphrase you will remember. More on the File Safe page.
Do you use cookies, analytics or ads?
No. There are no analytics, advertising or tracking scripts on this site or in the app, and we don’t set cookies. We make money one way: when you pay for Pro.
Can I check the privacy claims myself?
Yes. The app’s Privacy Audit panel shows the browser’s own record of the page’s network requests and anything the Content-Security-Policy blocked. It doesn’t list requests made by background workers (such as OCR), so for a complete view open your browser’s developer tools, go to the Network tab and use the app.
Does any feature send my content off my device?
One: dictation in Docs. It uses your browser’s speech recognition, which sends your audio to Google in Chrome or to Apple in Safari. The app asks for your consent before it starts. Read aloud uses your browser’s built-in voices, and everything else processes your files on your device.
How do I report a security vulnerability?
Email [email protected] with the details and steps to reproduce it, and give us a reasonable time to fix it before you disclose it. The contact page describes what to include, and our security.txt file lists the same contact.
Files and compatibility
Which file types can I open and save?
Docs opens and saves .docx, and exports PDF and Markdown. Sheets opens .xlsx, .xls, .csv and .tsv and saves .xlsx and .csv. Slides opens and saves .pptx. The PDF editor opens and saves PDF files. Image Studio exports WebP, JPEG and PNG. The File Safe creates and opens encrypted .vault files, and full workspace backups use .vaultbackup.
Will my Word, Excel or PowerPoint files look exactly the same?
Usually close, not always identical. Complex files can be simplified on import: not every spreadsheet function is supported, and some presentation effects such as gradients, charts and SmartArt are simplified. Each tool page has a “Limits worth knowing” section, for example the .docx editor, .xlsx editor and .pptx editor pages. Check important files after saving.
Is PDF redaction permanent?
Yes. Each redacted page is replaced with an image of the page with the black boxes burned in, so the text and graphics underneath are removed from the file rather than covered up. The trade-off is that text on redacted pages is no longer selectable. See how PDF redaction works.
Which languages can OCR read?
English only for now. Text recognition runs in your browser with a self-hosted engine and English language data. It is free on the first page of a PDF; OCR on every page is part of Pro.
Is there a file size limit?
There is no upload limit, because nothing is uploaded. The practical limits are your device’s memory and how much storage your browser gives this site. The Vault panel in the app shows that allowance. Very large files open more slowly on older computers.
How do I move my work to another computer?
Your projects are stored in one browser on one device, and nothing syncs through us. In the app’s Vault panel, download a full workspace backup (.vaultbackup), then restore it in the app on the other computer. The backup is not encrypted, so for a safer transfer lock it into a .vault file first. You can also save individual files as .docx, .xlsx, .pptx or PDF.
Pricing and licenses
What can I do for free, and what does Pro add?
All six tools are free to use, including PDF redaction, File Safe encryption, OCR on the first page and PDF Tools jobs of up to 3 files. Pro adds oCR on every page, pDF Tools batches of more than 3 files and revision history & rollback. The pricing page compares the plans.
How does the free trial work?
Every Pro feature is unlocked for 7 days from the first time you open the app in a browser. There is nothing to sign up for and no card to enter. When the trial ends, the free features keep working and your documents stay where they are.
Which plan should I choose?
For a single job, the Week Pass ($9, 7 days, no renewal). To pay as you go, Pro Monthly ($15 a month). For regular use, Pro Annual ($99 a year), which also lets you keep the Pro features you paid for. While the launch offer lasts, Founders gives the same for $59 a year, locked for as long as you renew. Lifetime is $299 once, with every future Pro feature included.
What does “keep what you paid for” mean exactly?
If you stop renewing Pro Annual or Founders, every Pro feature released on or before the end of your last paid period stays unlocked on your key, permanently. Features released later need an active license. The changelog records each Pro feature’s release date. Pro Monthly and the Week Pass don’t include this.
Can I use one license on several devices, or share it with my team?
A license is for one person, on the devices they personally use, so you can activate your key on your laptop and your desktop. It can’t be shared: a team needs one key per person. See the terms of service.
How do I cancel a subscription?
Open the plans dialog in the app and choose “Manage billing”, which opens Stripe’s customer portal, or email [email protected] and we will cancel it for you. You keep Pro until the end of the period you have paid for, and you aren’t charged again.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. The first payment of Pro Monthly, Pro Annual, Founders or Lifetime is refundable within 14 days, no questions asked, and so are yearly renewals within 14 days of the charge. The Week Pass is refundable within 24 hours. Monthly renewals aren’t refunded, but you can cancel anytime. Details are in the refund policy.
I lost my license key. How do I get it back?
On a device where Pro is still active, open the plans dialog and choose “Copy my key”. Otherwise, email [email protected] from the address you used at checkout (or include your Stripe receipt number) and we will send it again. We can’t look you up any other way, because there are no accounts.
Can I buy Pro from outside the United States?
Not yet. Paid licenses are currently available to customers in the United States, and sales tax is added at checkout where applicable. Anyone, anywhere, can use the free features.
Offline use and devices
Can I use Vault Studio Pro without an internet connection?
Yes, once you prepare it. In the app’s Privacy Audit panel, choose “Make available offline” and the browser stores everything the app needs, including the OCR and PDF font data. Without that step, the app still reopens offline after a first visit, but tools you haven’t used yet may need a connection. Dictation, checkout and subscription key renewal always need one.
Do I need to install anything?
No. Vault Studio Pro runs in your web browser. Open the app and drop in a file. There are no plug-ins or desktop programs to install.
Which browsers does it work in?
It is built on standard web features (WebAssembly, Web Workers, IndexedDB and the Web Crypto API) found in current versions of the major browsers, so keep your browser up to date. Dictation depends on the browser providing speech recognition, which not every browser does.
Can I use it on a phone or tablet?
The app opens in mobile browsers, but the editors are laid out for larger screens with a keyboard, so a laptop or desktop computer is the most comfortable way to work. Remember that projects are stored separately in each browser on each device.
What happens to my projects if I clear my browser data?
They are deleted, because they only exist in that browser’s storage and we don’t have a copy. Before you clear site data, switch browsers or reset a computer, save your files or download a workspace backup.
Troubleshooting
My projects have disappeared. Can I get them back?
First check that you are in the same browser and browser profile as before, and not in a private window: each has its own separate storage, and private windows delete it when they close. If site data was cleared, the projects are gone from that browser and we can’t recover them, because we never had them. Restore from a .vaultbackup or your saved files if you have them.
The app says storage is full. What should I do?
Your browser limits how much a site can store. Save the files you need, then delete old projects you no longer need in the Vault panel, which also shows the space your browser allows. Download a backup before deleting anything.
My license key isn’t accepted, or Pro locked after a renewal. Why?
Paste the whole key, which starts with “VSP-”, without extra spaces. Subscription keys are renewed near the end of each period, so open the app while you are online so it can collect the renewed key. Keys from refunded or charged-back orders are revoked. If none of that explains it, email [email protected] with the email address you used at checkout.
I paid, but Pro didn’t unlock. What now?
After checkout, Stripe sends you back to the app, which then collects your key. Make sure you are online and reload the app. If Pro still isn’t unlocked, email [email protected] from the address you used at checkout and we will send your key.
A file won’t open or looks wrong. How do I report it?
Email [email protected] with the file type, which tool you used, your browser, and what you expected to see. Please don’t send confidential documents: a description, a screenshot with private details removed, or a sample file with dummy content is usually enough. For other ways to reach us, see the contact page.
Still stuck? Contact us, or open the app and try it with your own files.