Two paths.
One clear difference.
Private and Ghost both protect stored location data. What changes is the moment location becomes unreadable to our servers.
Choose your tracker. Keep your keys.
Private is designed for compatible GPS trackers, including supported third-party models; setup depends on the model. Ghost needs a CipherGPS tracker running our custom firmware. During local Bluetooth setup, your device gives that tracker the encryption details it needs without passing them through our servers. Your private decryption key stays in your vault, and no customer tracking account is required.
- 01Choose
Use a supported tracker for Private or our custom-firmware tracker for Ghost.
- 02Set up
Ghost receives its encryption details directly from your device over Bluetooth. Private setup follows the compatible tracker model.
- 03Keep control
Your authorised devices hold the private key that can show saved location.
Private's server receives your public key so it can encrypt records after live processing; it never receives your private decryption key. Ghost is different: your device gives the tracker its encryption details directly over Bluetooth. CipherGPS receives neither the Ghost public encryption key nor your private decryption key. Its location content reaches us already encrypted, and only your authorised devices can decrypt it. That is zero-knowledge tracking: encrypted location routed under a pseudonym, with no IMEI, tracker IP or Ghost keys reaching our servers.
Processed in memory. Encrypted immediately.
Each packet arrives over a secure connection. The server processes it in memory, immediately encrypts the location and tracker IMEI with your public key, then discards the unencrypted data. Plaintext is never written to disk; only encrypted records enter storage. Your public key cannot unlock those records.
- 01Tracker
Sends a location packet over a secure connection.
- 02Server
Processes the packet in memory, encrypts it immediately and discards the plaintext.
- 03Encrypted store
Holds only encrypted location history and IMEI, unreadable to us.
- 04Your vault
Your authorised devices use the private key to show location.
Current location, tracker IMEI and your public key are visible only during brief in-memory processing. Unencrypted data is discarded, never written to disk. We cannot decrypt saved history later or run server-side geofence rules against it.
Encrypted before it travels.
Our custom-firmware tracker receives your encryption details directly from your device during Bluetooth setup. Neither your Ghost public encryption key nor your private decryption key goes to CipherGPS. The tracker encrypts before sending and uses a pseudonym in place of its IMEI. Our servers carry and store encrypted location without receiving the tracker IP or identifying the physical unit.
- 01Tracker
Encrypts location with your keys inside the device before upload.
- 02Server
Receives and carries encrypted content.
- 03Encrypted store
Keeps the location unreadable to us.
- 04Your vault
Your authorised devices use your private key to show location.
We cannot read live or stored location. Our servers receive no Ghost keys, IMEI or tracker IP. A pseudonym lets us route the encrypted data without identifying the physical unit.
Your PC can do the checking.
Neither tracker sends alerts as standard. Private's plaintext exists only during brief in-memory processing before encryption; Ghost's location is never readable to our servers. Without readable history, we cannot run your alert rules. Install the CipherGPS desktop app and connect it to your vault. It checks geofences, motion and low battery on your computer, then can send SMS, email or push alerts if you choose. Keep your PC on and the app running to receive them.
Keep your way back in.
If all authorised devices and decryption keys are lost, even CipherGPS cannot recover your encrypted location history. With Ghost, we also cannot restore access to that tracker. Keep a secure backup of your keys.
Choose where encryption begins.
Explore the two CipherGPS trackers and pick the privacy model that suits you.
Compare Private and Ghost ↗