Privacy policy

The short version

• Numbers you type into calculators are processed in your browser and are never sent to our servers.
• Saved calculations, invoices, favorites, and preferences are stored in your browser’s local storage, on your device only.
• We use analytics to see which pages are used, and we show ads through Google AdSense. These partners may set cookies. You can opt out (details below).
• We do not sell personal information and we do not run email marketing without your explicit sign-up.

1. Who we are

PlainCalc (“we”, “us”) operates https://plaincalc.com. For any privacy question or request, email hello@plaincalc.com. See About for who runs the site.

2. Information you provide

Calculator inputs. Loan amounts, income, expenses, invoice details, debts, and anything else you enter are processed entirely by JavaScript running in your browser. They are not transmitted to PlainCalc. If you use Save, a tracker (net worth, debt planner), or the invoice generator (including an uploaded logo), that data is written to your browser’s localStorage and stays on your device until you delete it or clear site data. The Share link feature encodes your inputs into the page URL; anyone you send that link to can see those inputs, so treat it like any other link containing personal figures.

Newsletter. If you subscribe to our email updates, your email address is stored by our email provider solely to send those updates. Every email has an unsubscribe link.

Contact. If you email us, we keep the correspondence to respond and to improve the site.

3. Information collected automatically

Server logs. Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) records standard request logs such as IP address, browser type, requested page, referrer, and timestamp for security, abuse prevention, and troubleshooting. Cloudflare’s handling of this data is described in the Cloudflare privacy policy.

Analytics. We may use Google Analytics 4 to understand aggregate usage (pages viewed, approximate location by country/region, device type, engagement time). IP anonymization is enabled. You can opt out with the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

4. Advertising and cookies

We display advertisements served by Google AdSense. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site:

• Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising at www.aboutads.info.
• How Google uses data when you use our site is explained at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Third-party vendors and ad networks may also use cookies or web beacons on this site; we do not control those cookies. Ads are never placed inside the calculators themselves and never influence calculation results.

Consent (EEA, UK, Switzerland). If you visit from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you will see a consent dialog before any non-essential cookies are set. You can change your choice at any time via the “Privacy & cookie settings” link in the site footer once ads are active.

Cookies we set ourselves. None for tracking. PlainCalc uses localStorage (not cookies) for your theme, saved calculations, favorites, recent tools, and your last inputs on each calculator. This is strictly functional; nothing in it is transmitted to us.

5. How long we keep data

Data in your browser stays until you clear it. Server logs are retained by our hosting provider for a limited period for security purposes. Analytics data is retained per Google Analytics’ default settings (up to 14 months). Newsletter data is kept until you unsubscribe.

6. Children

The site is intended for a general audience and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

7. Your rights and choices

GDPR (EEA/UK). You may have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data, and to object to processing or withdraw consent. Because we hold almost no personal data, the practical steps are: clear your browser’s site data to remove locally stored information, use the opt-outs above for analytics and advertising, unsubscribe from any email, and contact us for anything else.

CCPA/CPRA (California). We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA and have not done so in the preceding 12 months. Advertising partners may engage in “sharing” for cross-context behavioral advertising; you can opt out using the ad settings links above or a browser-level Global Privacy Control signal, which we honor. You have the right to know what personal information is collected, to delete it, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

Do Not Track. Our site does not itself track you across websites; we honor Global Privacy Control where technically applicable.

8. Security

The site is served over HTTPS. Because calculator data never leaves your device, the main security control is your own browser and device.

9. Third-party links

Pages link to external sites (IRS, Cloudflare, data sources). Their privacy practices are their own; this policy does not cover them.

10. Changes to this policy

We will post updates on this page and change the effective date above. Material changes will be highlighted on the homepage for 30 days.

11. Contact

Privacy questions or requests: hello@plaincalc.com. See also our Terms of use and Disclaimer.