Monghoul

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 8, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Bohdan Kontsedal ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use Monghoul ("the App"), a desktop MongoDB client, and when you visit our website at monghoul.com ("the Website").

Sections 1.1 through 1.5 describe the App. Section 1.6 describes the Website. The two are separate: nothing you do in the App is linked to your visits to the Website.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Data Stored Locally on Your Device

Monghoul stores all user data in a local SQLite database on your computer. This data never leaves your device except as described in Sections 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4.

Locally stored data includes:

  • Connection configurations — server addresses, ports, authentication credentials, SSH tunnel settings, SSL/TLS certificates, database filters, and write protection rules
  • Workspace state — tab content, query code, query results, panel layouts, window positions, sidebar preferences
  • Saved queries and favorites — query code, names, descriptions, and usage timestamps
  • Operation history — query logs, export/import records, execution durations, and error messages
  • Themes — custom theme configurations
  • MCP server settings — enabled state, authentication token, port

We do not have access to your locally stored data. Connection credentials, queries, database contents, and file paths remain entirely on your device.

1.2 Anonymous Telemetry (Opt-Out)

When telemetry is enabled (the default), we collect anonymous usage analytics to improve the App. Telemetry data is sent to Mixpanel, a third-party analytics service.

What we collect:

  • Device identifier — an anonymous one-way hash of your device's system identifier (see Section 1.4), used as a stable anonymous device identity
  • Session identifier — a random UUID generated each time the App starts
  • App metadata — app version, operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux), license tier (free/pro)
  • Feature usage events — which features are used (e.g., "query executed", "export completed", "schema analyzed"), with bucketed durations and document counts (e.g., "1s-5s", "1k-10k") to prevent exact values from being recorded
  • Error categories — when queries fail, the error type is classified (auth, timeout, network, syntax, permission, other) without including the actual error message content
  • License events — plan type on activation (monthly, annual, lifetime, trial), checkout opened, trial started/expired/restored
  • MCP server events — when the MCP server is toggled on/off, when an AI client connects (session start), and which MCP tools are called (tool name only, no query content or results)

What we never collect:

  • Connection strings, database names, or collection names
  • Query code, query results, or document content
  • Usernames, passwords, API keys, or file paths
  • IP addresses (Mixpanel derives approximate geolocation from IP but does not store the IP itself)
  • Email addresses or any personally identifiable information

How to opt out:

You can disable telemetry at any time from within the App via the footer menu or the initial welcome screen. When disabled, no data is sent to any external service.

1.3 Payment Information

When you purchase a Pro license, payment is processed by PayPro Global (PayPro Global, Inc.), our Merchant of Record. PayPro Global collects and processes your payment information (name, email, billing address, payment method) under their own privacy policy.

What we store locally after purchase:

  • License key
  • Subscription ID
  • Customer email (for subscription portal access)
  • Plan type and activation/expiration dates

We do not store your payment card details or billing address. These are handled entirely by PayPro Global.

1.4 Device Fingerprint

When you activate a Pro license or start a free trial, the App generates an anonymous device fingerprint — a one-way hash derived from your device's system identifier. This fingerprint cannot be reversed to identify you or your device.

We also send a human-readable device name (hostname + OS) for your reference when managing devices.

The fingerprint is used to:

  1. Enforce the device limit per license key (up to 3 devices)
  2. Prevent trial abuse (one trial per device)
  3. Serve as the anonymous device identifier for telemetry analytics

1.5 Auto-Update Checks

The App periodically checks for updates by requesting a version manifest from GitHub (github.com). This request includes only standard HTTP headers (IP address, user agent). No personal data or telemetry is sent during update checks.

1.6 The Website (monghoul.com)

The Website uses two analytics services. They answer different questions and they are treated differently, because only one of them stores anything in your browser.

Vercel Analytics (no consent needed). Every visit is counted by Vercel Analytics. It sets no cookie, stores nothing in your browser, and does not identify you or follow you to other sites. It records the page you viewed, the referring site, your device type and browser, and a country derived from your IP address. We rely on legitimate interest for this, because it cannot identify you.

Google Analytics (consent required). Google Analytics 4 runs only after you accept it. On your first visit it loads with storage denied under Google Consent Mode, which means no _ga cookie is written and no identifier is stored:

  • If you accept, Google Analytics sets cookies named _ga and _ga_<property>, which expire after two years. They give you a random identifier so that repeat visits within a session are counted as one visitor rather than several.
  • If you decline, storage stays denied. Google receives a page-view signal with no identifier and no cookie.
  • Either way, we store your answer in your browser's local storage under monghoul.analytics-consent. That single entry is what stops the prompt from asking again, so it is set even when you decline.

Google Analytics receives the page you viewed, the referring site, your approximate location, and your device and browser. Google derives the approximate location from your IP address and does not store the IP address in Analytics. We do not enable Google Signals, advertising features, or remarketing, so this data is not used to build an advertising profile.

Changing your answer. Select "Cookie settings" at the bottom of any page. Withdrawing consent stops any further data being sent and clears the cookies on your next visit. You can also block or delete these cookies in your browser at any time, and the Website works the same.

We do not sell or share this data. No account is required to read the Website, and we do not ask for one.

2. How We Use Information

  • Telemetry data — to understand feature usage, identify common errors, prioritize development, and improve the App
  • License data — to verify your license status and manage subscription validity
  • Update checks — to notify you of new versions

3. Third-Party Services

Service Purpose Data Shared Privacy Policy
PayPro Global Payment processing, subscription management, tax compliance, license key generation Payment information (handled by PayPro directly) payproglobal.com/legal
Monghoul License Server License verification, device management, trial tracking License key, device fingerprint, device name, customer email Self-hosted, see Section 1.4
Mixpanel Anonymous usage analytics Anonymous events with device fingerprint, bucketed metrics (see Section 1.2) mixpanel.com/legal/privacy-policy
GitHub Auto-update version checks Standard HTTP request headers docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies
Google Analytics Website analytics, after you accept (see Section 1.6) Page viewed, referring site, approximate location, device and browser policies.google.com/privacy
Vercel Website hosting and cookieless analytics (see Section 1.6) Page viewed, referring site, device and browser, country vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy

User-configured services: The App connects to MongoDB servers, SSH servers, and authentication services (LDAP, Kerberos, AWS) that you configure. These connections are initiated by you and governed by the respective service providers' policies.

4. Data Storage and Security

  • All user data is stored locally in an SQLite database on your device
  • Connection passwords and credentials are stored encrypted in the local database. The encryption key is held by your operating system's credential store (Keychain on macOS, Credential Manager on Windows, Secret Service on Linux) and is not kept in the database, so a copy of that file cannot be read on another device. Where no credential store is available, the key is derived from the application's own data instead, which is weaker; the application states which of the two is in use
  • Query text, saved queries and stored query responses are not encrypted, so a credential typed into the query editor is stored as written. A password supplied inside a connection string as an option, such as proxyPassword or tlsCertificateKeyFilePassword, is likewise stored as entered
  • We still recommend enabling your operating system's disk encryption
  • No user content (queries, documents, credentials) is stored on our servers. Only anonymous device fingerprints and license metadata are stored on the license server (see Section 1.4)
  • Telemetry data stored by Mixpanel is anonymous and cannot be linked to any individual

5. Data Retention

  • Local data — retained on your device until you delete it or uninstall the App
  • Telemetry data — retained by Mixpanel according to their data retention policies
  • Payment records — retained by PayPro Global according to their data retention policies and applicable tax regulations
  • Device fingerprints — retained on our license server while the license key is active; removed upon license deactivation or after 30 days of device inactivity

6. Your Rights

  • Opt out of telemetry — disable at any time from within the App
  • Delete local data — uninstall the App or delete its data directory from your system's application data folder
  • Manage subscription — access the PayPro Global customer portal to update payment methods, cancel subscriptions, or request invoice copies
  • Data portability — your local database is a standard SQLite file that you can back up or inspect at any time

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), you may have additional rights under GDPR including the right to access, rectification, erasure, and data portability of personal data processed by our third-party providers (PayPro Global, Mixpanel). Contact us to exercise these rights.

7. Children's Privacy

Monghoul is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

9. Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:

Email: contact@monghoul.com