Short version: Penflow collects as little as possible. We use privacy-friendly analytics to see what works. No ad networks. No selling your data to anyone.
Here is what that means in practice.
When you visit penflow.dev
We use two privacy-friendly analytics tools, Umami and PostHog, to count visits and see which pages help. They record usage events, not advertising profiles, and we do not run ad pixels or sell data. Beyond that, only the standard server logs kept by our hosting provider (Railway). Account and billing pages use cookies only to keep you signed in.
When you join the waitlist
You give us your email address. That email goes to two places:
- Our mailing list on Resend, stored in the Penflow Waitlist audience. Resend is the service that sends Penflow emails.
- A confirmation email back to you, also sent through Resend.
We use your email only to send news about Penflow. You can unsubscribe any time using the link at the bottom of any Penflow email, or by replying and asking. Unsubscribing removes your email from Resend.
When you use Penflow (the app)
Penflow is in private beta. Here is how your writing moves through the system.
- On your device. The editor writes every keystroke to local project files on your computer. The desktop app uses those files as the source of truth.
- On your GitHub, if you turn it on. Optional GitHub backup pushes your project files to a private repo under your own GitHub account. Your local project folder stays the source of truth.
- AI requests. If you turn on the AI reader, your request is sent through Penflow's server to check your license, then forwarded to OpenRouter using your own API key. We relay it in the moment and do not store or log your prompts, your text, or the responses. Your novels themselves never leave your computer. Only the specific text you send to the AI is transmitted, the same as with any AI tool.
- Anonymous app usage and crash reports. The desktop app sends a small amount of anonymous data (crash reports and simple counts like "a novel was created" or "export was used") so we can find and fix bugs. This never includes your manuscript text, titles, or names, and it is not tied to your identity. You can turn it off any time in the app under Account, Privacy.
What we do not do
- We do not sell your data. To anyone. For any reason.
- We do not run ad networks, retargeting pixels, or advertising trackers of any kind.
- We do not read your manuscript.
- We do not train AI on your work. Your words only reach an AI model if you personally send them through the AI reader using your own key.
How to delete your data
- Waitlist only: unsubscribe through any Penflow email, or reply and ask to be removed.
- App account: email [email protected] and we will delete account records we hold. Local files on your computer stay under your control.
- All of it: unsubscribe and ask us to delete any account records we hold.
Service providers we rely on
Penflow uses these third parties to operate. Each has its own privacy policy.
- Railway (website hosting; also relays AI requests to OpenRouter)
- Resend (waitlist and transactional emails)
- Umami and PostHog (privacy-friendly website and product analytics)
- GitHub (optional backup, only when you authorize it)
- OpenRouter (AI requests, only when you enable AI and provide your own key)
Children
Penflow is not designed for children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect information from them. If you believe a child has signed up, email us and we will remove the data.
Changes
If this policy changes, we update the "Last updated" date at the top. Meaningful changes also get an email to the waitlist and to active users.
Contact
Questions, concerns, or deletion requests: [email protected].