We get very often the question why we don’t offer a free tier.
Short answer:
At zeitkapsl, protecting your photos is our business — not mining your data.
We believe privacy should be the default, not a paid upgrade. That’s why zeitkapsl is built from the ground up to be end-to-end encrypted, ad-free, and tracker-free.
zeitkapsl is fully bootstrapped and proudly independent. We have no external investors influencing our decisions. Every choice we make is guided by what’s best for our customers, not by short-term growth targets or shareholder interests.
But delivering this level of privacy and reliability comes with real, ongoing costs.
What we don’t do
We don’t make money from your data, attention, or behavior.
There is no hidden business model — your subscription directly funds the service.
- ❌ No ads
- ❌ No tracking
- ❌ No data selling
- ❌ No bait-and-switch
- ❌ No VC-fueled growth hacks
What we do instead
- ✅ End-to-end encryption for all photos and videos
- ✅ Encrypted, redundant storage across two independent data centers in Germany
- ✅ Hosting exclusively in the EU, powered by 100% renewable energy
- ✅ Transparent, sustainable pricing
- ✅ Minimal data collection, strictly for operational purposes
- ✅ A fair, no-commitment 14-day money-back guarantee
Your data stays in Europe 🇪🇺, under some of the world’s strictest privacy laws. Even we cannot access your content—only you hold the keys.
Why we don’t offer a free tier
Many apps offer a free plan subsidized by ads, upsells, or user tracking. We’ve consciously chosen a different path. Running zeitkapsl incurs significant and predictable costs, including:
- Storage and replication across two independent data centers in Germany
- Proper tax and regulatory compliance
- Bandwidth and traffic handling
- Transaction fees from payment providers
- Long-term maintenance and customer support
- Last but not least, we want to pay our employees fairly and competitively according to european standards. We don’t outsource our operations or development to third parties with lower standards.
We believe subsidizing a free tier would either compromise our values or lead to unfair pricing for paying users. We’re not willing to make that trade-off.
A compromise: a 14-day money-back guarantee
Instead of a free tier, we offer a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied for any reason, you can request a full refund within 14 days—no questions asked.
We’re confident that you’ll appreciate the value of zeitkapsl, and this guarantee is here to ensure you take no risks.
A sustainable model for ethical software
By choosing zeitkapsl, you’re supporting a digital future where you don’t have to rely on trust—thanks to our end-to-end encryption. We offer a service without ads, hidden costs, or compromises on your privacy.