Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to use Longhand Budget?
No. The Free tier runs entirely in your browser with no sign-up. An account is only required for Premium features such as multi-device sync.
Where is my data stored?
On the Free tier, your data is stored locally in your browser and never leaves your device. On the Premium tier, synced data is stored on servers located in the European Union — there is no US data residency. See the Privacy Policy for the full details.
Does Longhand use cookies or track me?
No advertising or cross-site tracking. We use privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics (counter.dev) that only counts visits with a single non-identifying marker in your browser, so there is no cookie-consent banner to click through. The full list of the services we use is in the Privacy Policy.
How do I reset or clear my data?
Open the Settings page and use Clear local data. It removes everything Longhand has stored in this browser (your income, expenses, savings, balances and profiles), asks you to confirm first, and only affects this device. As a fallback you can still clear it from your browser's own privacy settings (for example, in Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Clear browsing data → Cached/site data).
On the Premium tier you can also delete your account and all of your synced data from the Settings page. That permanently removes your data from our EU database, in line with the Privacy Policy.
Why do my totals differ from the raw amounts I entered?
Longhand converts every amount to a common monthly basis before adding things together. For example, a weekly expense is multiplied by about 4.33 (the average number of weeks in a month) to estimate its monthly cost, so the monthly figure is an estimate rather than an exact calendar-month total. This lets income and expenses with different frequencies be compared fairly. Totals are labelled with the period you choose — for example (per month) — and the info button on each figure shows the amount you entered before conversion. You can switch the overview between weekly, biweekly, monthly, and annual totals with the duration selector.
For the exact factors, a worked example, and why a total can land a few cents away from the same sum added up by hand, see How totals are calculated.
Can I switch between currencies or hide currency symbols?
Yes. Longhand supports a currency-less mode that shows raw numbers, and an explicit mode that formats amounts with locale-aware symbols. You can switch modes from the Settings page.
Does Longhand track my actual spending?
No. Longhand is a planning tool for the figures you enter yourself. It does not connect to your bank or credit card, and it does not import transactions or track what you actually spend. If you want to record and categorise real spending, use a dedicated spend tracker such as Lunch Money, a Canadian app. If data residency matters to you, check each tool's own privacy policy — most hosted spend trackers store your transactions on their own servers, so residency depends on the provider you choose.
Still stuck? Head back to Getting started, browse the Features guide, or reach us through the contact form.