01 / zero-knowledge, mechanically
The vault seals before anything leaves your device.
your device
Password → Argon2id → keys that never travel
Your password becomes your keys on your machine. Neither is ever transmitted — logging in proves you hold the key without showing it to anyone.
password ─→ argon2id ─→ root key
├─ auth key (proves, never reveals)
└─ vault keys ─→ file keys · stays here
in transit
Sealed per 4 MiB chunk
AES-256-GCM with a fresh random key per file. Filenames and folder structure are encrypted too.
chunk 1 · chunk 2 · chunk 3 · chunk 4
our server
Shapes we can't open
A breach, an insider, a subpoena — none can produce your files in readable form. There is nothing here to leak.
object 4d92…7.3 MB · sealed
object a713…2.1 MB · sealed
the honest ledger
What we can and cannot see
we can see
we cannot see — ever
your email
✕ file contents
storage used
✕ filenames
billing status
✕ folder structure
blob sizes
✕ your password or keys
If we get subpoenaed, breached, or bought — your files stay unreadable.
that's not a policy · it's the architecture
02 / follow one file
step 1
A file on your device
retainer-2024.pdf · 7.3 MB · readable — by you
step 2
Split into 4 MiB chunks
step 3
Sealed, chunk by chunk
step 4
What lands on our server
retainer-2024.pdf
PRIVILEGED & CONFIDENTIAL
Re: Settlement discussion…
file key wrapped by vault key · never transmitted
what we can produce under subpoena: exactly this ↑
03 / hvelv send
Send 100 GB by link. No app on either end.
Share from your vault or send a one-off transfer. The key travels in the link itself — in the URL fragment, which browsers never send to servers. Your recipient clicks; their browser decrypts. Password, expiry, and revocation are yours to set.
the link, anatomized
hvelv.io/s/7f2e…#key-only-you-two-hold
before # · all our server sees
after # · never leaves the browser
controls · password · expiry · download limit · revoke
04 / side by side
Great for collaboration. Terrible for secrets.
Mainstream drives are excellent products — for files you'd be comfortable letting the provider read. For the other kind:
| hvelv | dropbox | google drive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can the provider read your files? | No — structurally impossible | Yes | Yes |
| Can AI train on your documents? | No | Policy-dependent | Policy-dependent |
| Filenames encrypted? | Yes | No | No |
| Send any-size files by link? | Yes, encrypted | Caps apply | Caps apply |
| Open-source client? | Yes | No | No |
05 / pricing at launch
Every plan gets the same encryption. You're choosing space, not safety.
Free
5 GB$0
Full encryption. Two devices. Try the claims.
Solo
500 GB$9/mo
For one professional's client files. $90/yr.
Professional
2 TB$19/mo
Unlimited expiring share links, 180-day versions, audit log. $190/yr.
no lifetime deals · no discount cliffs · no “contact us” tier · overage never deletes anything
who's behind this
Built by an IT director who got tired of telling clients their cloud provider could read everything.
Hvelv is built in the open by one accountable person — real name, real face, direct email — and funded by its customers, not venture capital. Questions about the security model go straight to the founder.
06 / the hard questions first
+What if I lose my password?
You get a 24-word recovery kit when you sign up — print it, store it somewhere real. If you lose both your password and the kit, your files are gone. Nobody can reset that, including us. That's not a limitation; it's the proof the encryption is real.
+How is this different from Dropbox or Google Drive?
They encrypt your files with keys they hold, which means they can read, scan, and index everything — and increasingly feed it to AI features. Hvelv encrypts on your device with keys only you hold. We store ciphertext we cannot open.
+How is it different from Proton Drive or Tresorit?
Same zero-knowledge promise, different posture: one product instead of a suite, prices on the page instead of behind a quiz, an open-source client you can audit, and a live demo instead of a marketing claim.
+What happens if Hvelv shuts down?
Your files are never hostage. The client is open source, and we publish a standalone recovery tool that decrypts your vault from raw storage with just your key — no Hvelv servers required. We also commit to 12 months' notice.
+Why should I trust a product built by one person?
Don't trust — verify. The crypto design is published for review, the client code is open, the primitives are boring and audited, and an independent audit is publicly committed and funded. One accountable name beats an anonymous team.
First 500 get founding-member pricing, forever.
Plus early access to the crypto design doc — we'd rather you tear it apart before launch than after.