NCryptAES is a free, cross-platform desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux that lets you encrypt and decrypt your private text and files with nothing more than a shared passphrase. There are no accounts to create, no servers to trust, and no subscriptions, everything happens locally on your own machine. Type or paste some text, drag a file or folder onto the window, choose a secret, and NCryptAES does the rest.
Under the hood it uses strong, industry-standard AES-256 encryption combined with a modern “encrypt-then-authenticate” design. Your passphrase is stretched into an encryption key using 800,000 rounds of PBKDF2 hashing, and every encrypted item is sealed with a tamper-check (HMAC-SHA256) that is verified before anything is decrypted. In plain terms: only someone with the exact secret can read your data, and any attempt to alter an encrypted file is detected and rejected.
Working with files is as simple as drag and drop. Drop any file or folder onto the Files tab and NCryptAES produces a single, self-contained .ncryptaes file on your Desktop; drop that file back in with the right secret to restore your original exactly as it was. Encrypted text can be copied straight to the clipboard, making it easy to send protected messages through email, chat, or notes.
NCryptAES is built for simplicity and peace of mind. It ships with no third-party plugins or hidden dependencies, keeps your data entirely on your device, and never overwrites your existing files. Whether you’re protecting a password, a document, or an entire folder, NCryptAES gives you serious encryption in a tool anyone can use, and it’s completely free.
Note: The application is written using Xojo and compiled for macOS, Windows and Linux from a single codebase. The macOS version is Signed and Notarised by Apple.
View the NCryptAES Security Review
Installation for macOS and Windows:
After download, double click the ZIP file and drag the application file(s) into your Applications (or other chosen folder) folder, then double click to run the application. NCryptAES will state ‘Trial License’ in the window title. To remove this window title and the banner at the top of the window, use this link which will prompt for your name and email address. When you submit this form you will shortly receive a licence file via email. Just drag this .lic file into the same folder as the application and restart NCryptAES. The license is free.
NOTE: I also have a Linux version available which works but the UI is far from acceptable at the moment, so I have not included it for download yet.