Legal

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: July 10, 2026 · Last Updated: July 10, 2026

The short version: Penbase doesn't collect any personal data or phone home to its developer. No analytics, no crash reports, no tracking, no accounts, no third-party servers. Your notes live on your device. Optional iCloud sync uses your own iCloud account, where your note contents are stored encrypted, and the developer has no access to it. Details below.

Overview

Penbase ("the App") is a native macOS, iOS, and iPadOS application for writing and organizing Markdown notes. This privacy policy describes how the App handles information.

Information We Collect

Penbase does not collect any personal information. The App does not:

Collect your name, email address, or any other identifying information
Transmit any data to the App developer
Use analytics, crash reporting services, advertising, or tracking tools
Access your contacts, photos, location, or any other system data beyond files you explicitly choose to import or add to a note
Create user accounts managed by the developer, or require registration with the developer
Collect or process any payment or financial information

Data Storage

Your library is stored locally on your Device in an on-device database: the notes you write, their titles and Markdown bodies, groups, tags, pinned state, images and attachments you add, version-history checkpoints, per-device settings, Recently Deleted items, and preferences. The App functions fully offline.

iCloud Sync

Sync is opt-in. Penbase stays local unless you turn iCloud Sync on. If you do, and you are signed in to iCloud, Penbase keeps your notes in sync across your Apple devices using Apple's CloudKit private database. Your data is stored in your own private iCloud account, in accordance with Apple's Privacy Policy. The developer has no access to it.

Synced data includes your notes, groups, tags, pinned state, images and attachments, preferences, and Recently Deleted items.
Note contents are encrypted. Titles, bodies, and other content fields are stored using CloudKit encrypted fields in your own private iCloud database under your Apple Account, subject to Apple's iCloud data protections. The developer has no access to it.
Some data stays local. Version history and certain per-device settings are kept only on the device where they are made and are not synced.

Because sync uses your private iCloud account, no note data is ever transmitted to the App developer. If you disable iCloud or sign out, your data remains available locally on each device.

Importing Notes

Penbase can import Markdown files and folders, and exports from other note apps, that you choose. The files you select are read and parsed entirely on your Device to create your notes and groups. They are not uploaded to the developer or to any third party.

Sharing Notes

If you choose to share a note with someone, Penbase uses Apple's CloudKit sharing. The shared note is exchanged through iCloud between you and the people you invite; it is not routed through, or accessible to, the developer. You can stop sharing at any time.

Third-Party Services

Penbase does not integrate with any advertising networks, analytics platforms, or crash reporters. The only network connections the App makes are to Apple's iCloud, used solely for optional private sync and sharing as described above.

Children's Privacy

Penbase does not knowingly collect any information from anyone, including children under the age of 13.

Changes to This Policy

If this privacy policy changes in a future version of the App, the updated policy will be published at this URL and the "Last Updated" date above will be revised. Continued use of the App after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

Questions, issues, and feature requests are tracked publicly at the project's GitHub repository.