Doghouse
The free version is one vault, forever, with every feature. Only adding a second vault needs a license. A lifetime license costs €19 / $19 once, works on up to 3 Macs and is activated by pasting the key into Settings. Nothing you already made ever stops working, paid or not.
On this page
What the free version includes
Everything. Touch ID, Pocket Vaults, the second password, auto-lock, the panic shortcut, the menu bar, every design, every maintenance action. The only limit is the number of vaults in the list: one. Doghouse calls this the never-hostage rule: the limit only stops you adding a second vault. Your existing vault keeps unlocking, resizing and exporting forever, whether or not you ever pay.
With one vault in the list, New Vault shows a pane headed “The free version includes one vault”: “Your current vault keeps working forever — unlocking, resizing, everything. A lifetime license (one price, up to 3 Macs) unlocks unlimited vaults.” with Close and Buy Doghouse…. Add Existing Vault… shows the same message as an alert, because adding counts like creating. Removing the vault from the list frees the slot.
While unlicensed, a slim bar under the vault list reads “Free version — one vault” with Enter Key… and Buy Doghouse…; the menu bar panel shows a Free badge. Both disappear once a key is active.
Buying a license
A license is a one-time purchase of €19 / $19 through Polar, our payment provider; there is no subscription and no account to create in Doghouse. Click any Buy Doghouse… button in the app, or buy on the website. Polar emails you a receipt and a key of the form DOGHOUSE-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX. The license is for life and for up to 3 Macs.
Activating a key
- Open Settings ( or ⌘ ,). The license card is at the top: “Free version — one vault, forever. A lifetime license unlocks unlimited vaults on up to 3 Macs.”
- Paste the key into the field (upper or lower case, surrounding spaces are fine) and click Activate.
- Done. The card now reads “Licensed — DOGHOUSE-…-XXXX” with the last group of your key, and the Free badge and footer bar are gone.
Activation is “One-time activation call — after that Doghouse never phones home.” The app sends the key, Doghouse’s organisation identifier and your Mac’s name (so you can recognise the Mac in Polar’s customer portal) to Polar once, then stores the key and an activation record in your Keychain. It never contacts Polar again unless you deactivate. If you would rather not send your Mac’s name, rename the Mac in System Settings first; see the privacy policy.
Messages you might see:
- “That key was not recognized. Check for typos — keys look like DOGHOUSE-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.”
- “This key is already active on 3 Macs. Deactivate one first (in the app on that Mac, or in your Polar purchase portal).”
- “Could not reach the license server. Check your internet connection and try again.” Activation is the one moment the app needs the internet.
Deactivating a Mac
In Settings, click Deactivate This Mac. “Lifetime license, up to 3 Macs. Deactivating frees this Mac’s slot for another one.” Doghouse tells Polar to release the activation and returns to the free version on this Mac; your vaults are untouched. Do this before selling or wiping a Mac. If the Mac is gone, you can remove its activation in your Polar purchase portal (the link is in your purchase email).
Vaults don’t depend on the license
A license changes nothing inside a vault. Standard Vaults are Apple encrypted disk images that open on any Mac with the password, with or without Doghouse or a license; Pocket Vaults open in any copy of Doghouse, free or licensed. If you deactivate, uninstall, or move to a new Mac with the free version, every vault you have still opens; you just can’t add more than one to the list without a key.
Frequently asked questions
I lost my license key. Where do I find it?
It is in the purchase email from Polar, and in your Polar purchase portal (linked from that email). If you have neither, contact support@doghousevault.com with the email address you bought with.
Does the license expire or need renewing?
No. It is a lifetime license for the Mac app, valid on up to 3 Macs at a time. There is no subscription.
Can I move the license to a new Mac?
Yes. Click Deactivate This Mac in Settings on the old Mac (or remove its activation in your Polar purchase portal), then activate the key on the new one.
Does the free version expire or stop working?
No. One vault, forever, every feature. Nothing times out and nothing you created is ever locked away.