Postdate vs Timevault
Updated
Timevault is the drand team’s free, open source tool for time-lock encryption in the browser. It gives you ciphertext to copy, and the recipient pastes it back in to decrypt. Postdate Timelock uses the same network and hosts the result as a countdown link with files.
At a glance
| Postdate | Timevault | |
|---|---|---|
| How it reaches people | A link with a countdown. Share it today and it opens at your time. | Ciphertext you copy and send. The recipient pastes it into its Decrypt tab. |
| What you can send | Text and up to 10 files. Up to 100 MB with the $3 option. | Text, or a vulnerability report with one optional file. |
| Account or email | None, for you or the people you share it with. | None. |
| How far ahead | Up to one year ahead, and at least 5 minutes. | A date picker. No limit stated. |
| Price | Basic is free within 7 days and 1 MB. Otherwise $3 once per Postdate. Timelock is always $3. | Free. |
| Who can read it early | Encrypted in your browser. Basic: Postdate holds the key and promises not to read it. Timelock: the key needs a future drand release. | Encrypted in your browser to a future drand round. Nothing is stored on a server. |
| After it opens | Stays open for 1 hour to 30 days, as you choose. | The ciphertext lasts wherever you keep it. |
| Deleting it | Basic has a private delete link. A Timelock cannot be deleted by its sender. | Nothing is stored, so there is nothing to delete. |
| Languages | English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Japanese. | English. |
| Source code | Not published. | Open source, Apache 2.0 or MIT. |
Facts about Timevault come from its own pages, checked on . Services change, so check their current terms before you choose.
Which one to choose
Choose Postdate when
- The people opening it should only need to tap a link, with no ciphertext to paste.
- You want several files in one locked package.
- You want a countdown page with Add to calendar while they wait.
- You want the choice of Basic, with a private delete link, for things you may cancel.
Choose Timevault when
- You want nothing stored by any service, and you will keep the ciphertext yourself.
- You want an open source tool from the drand team, with ciphertext the Go tlock tool can also decrypt.
- You are time-locking a vulnerability report for a deadline.
Create a new Postdate Basic: free within 7 days and 1 MB after encryption. $3 up to 1 year and 100 MB after encryption.
Common questions
Is Postdate Timelock built on the same network as Timevault?
Yes. Both encrypt for a future drand round, and the link cannot open before that round is published, assuming drand and the encryption stay secure. Postdate also stores the encrypted content and shows a countdown page.
What happens if Postdate is offline at the opening time?
The Postdate link needs both the drand release and Postdate to be available. Timevault ciphertext needs only drand and a copy of the tool, because you keep the ciphertext yourself.
Which one should a developer use?
For scripted or self-kept ciphertext, Timevault and the tlock libraries fit. For sharing a locked message and files with people who just tap a link, Postdate Timelock fits.
Sources
More comparisons
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See all comparisons, how Postdate works or how Timelock works.