The password manager that refuses to be a service.
One encrypted file. No cloud servers, no account logins, no telemetry, and no subscription hostages. Your secrets stay on your machine — always.
Coming September 2026
Why ARCA
A local vault, plus the tools and fail-safes to live with it.
vault.arca
Local file · encrypted
XChaCha20-Poly1305
3f8a · 91c2 · 0e17 · b44d
Your Vault, Your File
No account, no subscription, no cloud. Your secrets live in one encrypted file you own. Sync it anywhere, or nowhere.
A Toolbox, Not Just a Vault
Generate strong passwords, inject secrets into any process without touching .env files, and inspect tokens from one toolbox.
Vault A
Vault B
The Duress Password
Under pressure? Unlock with your duress password and Arca opens a believable decoy vault, indistinguishable from the real one.
3 of 5 shares
Recovery by People You Trust
Split recovery into share cards for people you trust. Any 3 restore your vault. Two alone learn nothing.
~/vault
$ arca agent start
$ git commit -S
Built for Power Users
A full CLI and built-in SSH agent: script your vault over SSH, sign Git commits, no GUI required.
Company Login
reused
Deploy token
aging
Root SSH
ok
Vault Health Check
ProSpot weak, reused, and aging passwords at a glance. Arca grades every entry and tells you what to fix first.
FEATURES
What ships in the vault.
Security, deniability, recovery, daily use, and the power-user tools — all local.
Core Security
Single-File Local Vault
One portable encrypted file holds everything; no server, account, telemetry, or subscription.
Core Security
Memory-Hard Key Derivation
Argon2id at 64 MiB minimum makes every offline password guess expensive.
Core Security
Calibrated Unlock Speed
Creation measures your hardware, targeting half-second unlocks without weakening security floors.
Core Security
Constant-Work Unlock
Every unlock performs identical work, so timing reveals nothing about occupancy.
Core Security
Offline Core by Construction
Networking code can never enter the crypto core; CI enforces it mechanically.
Core Security
Atomic Safe Writes
Killing the app mid-save never corrupts the vault; previous bytes survive.
Core Security
Cheap Password Rotation
Password changes rewrite one small slot, leaving your data regions untouched.
Deniability
Duress Password
A duress password opens a decoy vault indistinguishable from your real one.
Deniability
Fully Functional Decoy Sessions
Decoy sessions are fully functional; timing, interface, and errors match real ones.
Deniability
Fixed-Shape Container
Always four slots and four regions; filler is indistinguishable from real data.
Recovery
Shared-Custody Recovery
Five recovery shares; any three restore your vault, two learn nothing.
Recovery
Touch ID Unlock
Unlock instantly with biometrics; the wrapping key never leaves your Mac.
Everyday UX
Password Generator
Built-in generator creates strong credentials graded by a real strength estimator.
Everyday UX
Strength Enforcement
Weak passwords are rejected at onboarding and flagged on every later edit.
Everyday UX
Clipboard Guard
Copied secrets wipe themselves after forty-five seconds, never clobbering later copies.
Everyday UX
Timed Secret Reveal
Revealed secrets hide themselves again after thirty seconds, no exceptions.
Everyday UX
Automatic Locking
Idle lock is five minutes on Free. Pro adds 10 / 15 / 30 / 60 minutes and Never. Screen lock, sleep, and manual lock still fire instantly.
Everyday UX
Rust-Side Search
Search runs in Rust over metadata only; secret values never cross.
Everyday UX
Phosphor Themes
Phosphor mint and Morning Oats ship free. Twelve more Phosphor themes unlock with Pro.
Everyday UX
Recovery Code Grid
Reveal recovery-code grids cell by cell instead of exposing everything at once.
Power Tools
Full Command-Line Interface
Script every vault operation from the terminal, even over headless SSH sessions.
Power Tools
Direct Offline Mode
The CLI reads and writes vaults directly, no running app required.
Power Tools
SSH Agent with Git Signing
Sign Git commits and authenticate SSH through the built-in agent socket.
Power Tools
Secret Injection
Inject secrets into any process at launch; templates on disk stay clean.
Power Tools
ProKey File Import
Import existing keys and vaults. Locked on Free after a one-time trial.
Power Tools
Local Control Socket
The CLI drives the running app over a same-user peer-verified local socket.
Distribution & Updates
ProBuy Once, Own Forever
The vault is free. ARCA Pro is a lifetime purchase — one payment, no subscription, no license server.
Distribution & Updates
Signed Fail-Closed Updates
Every update is Ed25519-signed and verified; one flipped byte fails installation.
Distribution & Updates
User-Controlled Update Checks
Update checks are user-initiated, or optional weekly, and off by default.
Distribution & Updates
Write-Once Release Artifacts
Published release files cannot be silently replaced without a separate break-glass credential.
ARCHITECTURE
How ARCA compares to cloud vaults
| ARCA | Cloud SaaS | |
|---|---|---|
| Network sockets at runtime | Zero | Always on |
| Multi-tenant breach blast radius | None — local file only | Entire user base |
| Subscription lock-in | Free vault; Pro is $69 once | Recurring fees |
| Offline CLI & SSH agent | Built in | Limited or none |
| Published byte-level spec | Yes | Proprietary |
PRICING
Use it free. Buy Pro once.
The vault, CLI, and recovery stay free. ARCA Pro is a lifetime unlock — one payment, no subscription, no account.
Free
IncludedA real local vault — not a demo.
Freeno expiry
- Unlock, search, and store secrets
- CLI and local control socket
- Shamir onboarding and recover-from-shares
- Key Generator and Token Inspector
- Phosphor mint and Morning Oats
- 5-minute inactivity lock
- macOS and Windows
Coming September 2026
ARCA Pro
LifetimeBuy once. Own the rest forever.
$69one-time · lifetime
- Everything in Free, for life
- Import and Health Engine
- Idle lock: 10 / 15 / 30 / 60 min or Never
- Block screenshots
- Reissue Shamir recovery cards
- Zero-trace purge
- Twelve additional Phosphor themes
- Dead-Man's Clipboard, File Shredder, File Signature Inspector
Coming September 2026
Enterprise
$39per seat / year·5-seat minimum. Priority support, volume licensing, and deployment help.
Always included
- Vault open / unlock
- CLI and ctl.sock
- Onboarding Shamir ceremony (creating a vault still writes cards)
- Recover from Shares
- Typography, tags, updates check, access / biometrics
What Pro unlocks
Feature
Free
Pro
Data
Import
Free
Locked. One trial if unused; hidden after a consumed trial.
Pro
Import into the vault.
Vault
Health Engine
Free
Bell visible but does not run while a trial remains; removed after a consumed trial.
Pro
Grades every entry.
Security / Idle
Inactivity auto-lock
Free
5 minutes only (default).
Pro
10 / 15 / 30 / 60 minutes and Never.
Security / Machine
Block screenshots
Free
Always off. The toggle shows the upgrade nudge.
Pro
On or off; remembered on this machine.
Security / Recovery
Replace recovery cards
Free
Settings and Generate New Recovery Cards… are Pro. Unlocking with cards you already have still works.
Pro
Reissue K-of-N cards.
Security / Panic
Zero-trace purge
Free
Execute is an upgrade nudge; the confirm modal will not run.
Pro
Emergency session drop.
General / Theme
Phosphor
Free
- Phosphor mint (default)
- Morning Oats
Pro
- Cyan terminal
- Amber CRT
- Monochrome slate
- Mexican pink
- Italian Rosso
- Deus Ex Gold
- Ivory
- Rosa Pastel
- Winter Green
- Paper
- Workers Orange
- Peppermint
Utilities
Utilities
Free
- Key Generator
- Token Inspector
Pro
- Dead-Man's Clipboard
- File Shredder
- File Signature Inspector
Free Phosphor themes sit first in the dropdown — Included, then Dark, then Light. Pro themes and utilities are additive.
SECURITY
Honest limits, not marketing promises
ARCA protects against remote attackers, vendor subpoenas, and offline file theft — with Argon2id key derivation and XChaCha20-Poly1305 encryption. We publish what we cannot protect against: same-uid malware, kernel compromise, and shoulder surfing. Read the full threat model and verification arguments in the public white paper.
Read the white paperFAQ
