How Elephas Compares on Privacy
A concrete comparison of the Elephas privacy model vs ChatGPT, Claude, and other generic AI assistants.
How Elephas handles your data differently
Most AI assistants store your documents on remote servers. Elephas takes a different approach: your searchable index lives on your device, and you control exactly what (if anything) is sent externally during indexing and querying.
Elephas vs. generic AI assistants
| Elephas | Generic AI assistants | |
|---|---|---|
| Where your files are stored | Your Mac, iPhone, or iPad | Provider's cloud storage |
| Where your search index lives | Local index on your device | Provider's cloud database |
| Indexing (default mode) | 100% local on your Mac (since v11.6) | Sent to provider's servers |
| PII redaction before cloud AI | Smart Redaction on-device (since v11.7) | Typically not available |
| Fully offline option | Yes, local models on Apple Silicon | Rarely available |
| AI query content | Only relevant passages sent (not full documents) | Full documents often uploaded to provider |
| Bring your own API key | Yes, direct connection to provider | Usually not offered |
| Data used for training | Never (API mode, not consumer) | Often used unless opted out |
Three levels of privacy control
Elephas gives you a spectrum of privacy options. Choose the level that matches your needs:
- Maximum privacy (Offline AI): Everything stays on your device. No network requests. No data leaves your Mac.
- Controlled cloud (Bring Your Own Key + PII redaction): You connect directly to the AI provider with your own key. Personal information is redacted before sending. No intermediary.
- Convenient cloud (Elephas proxy): Queries go through the Elephas reverse proxy (no logging, no storage). Simplest setup, no API key needed.
What Elephas does not do
- Does not store your documents, embeddings, or chat history on Elephas servers
- Does not use your data for training Elephas models
- Does not share your data with third parties
- Does not use your data for advertising or profiling
- Does not require an internet connection for core features (with Offline AI)
Related articles
Privacy & Data ProtectionHow Your Data Is StoredYour documents are indexed and stored entirely on your Mac. Learn exactly how Elephas keeps your data private and where it lives.Privacy & Data ProtectionOffline AI ModeRun language models locally on your Mac with no internet connection. Complete privacy with Apple Silicon.Privacy & Data ProtectionData Handling for TeamsHow Elephas handles data in team and enterprise contexts. Common questions from IT and security teams answered.