What GerbDiff collects
GerbDiff is privacy-first: your board designs, and the intellectual property in them, never leave your machine. Everything is processed locally. This page lists exactly what the app does send, and what it never sends.
Your design data stays on your machine
GerbDiff parses, renders, and diffs your Gerber and drill files locally. File contents, file names, file paths, and board metadata are never transmitted to us or to anyone else. Exported reports and images are written to the location you choose and are not uploaded.
Account
Using GerbDiff requires a free account, created with your email address through a one-time code (no password). We store your email to identify your license and to send you account and billing messages.
Startup ping
Once per launch, GerbDiff sends a single small message so we can understand version adoption, platform mix, and overall usage. It is one record per app start, with no session tracking, timers, or event streams. In full, it contains:
- An identifier that links the message to your account and license.
- A one-way hash of a machine identifier, used to count distinct installs. It cannot be reversed to identify your hardware.
- The GerbDiff version you are running.
- Your operating system family (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
- Your license tier at that moment, for example personal or commercial.
- How many files or projects you have loaded since the previous message. Just a count, with no filenames or contents.
- How many reports or images you have exported since the previous message. Again, just a count.
What we never collect
- Gerber, drill, or any design file contents, names, or paths
- Board metadata, layer names, or diff results
- Session duration, feature click-streams, or any per-minute activity
- Screenshots or the contents of your window
- Any tracking across other apps or websites
Payments
Commercial and Team subscriptions are handled by Stripe. When you subscribe, your payment details are entered on Stripe's own checkout and are processed by Stripe; GerbDiff never sees or stores your card number. We store the Stripe customer and subscription identifiers needed to manage your license.
Questions
If you have any questions about this page or want your account data removed, email [email protected].