Compare · Ente Locker
Dead Man's Switch vs Ente Locker
Both help people you trust get access when you cannot run the show. The split is simple: we send specific messages and files automatically if you stop checking in. Ente Locker's Legacy feature is delayed account recovery: someone you trust starts the process, you get warned, then after a fixed wait they can take over your Ente account. Same general worry, different machinery.
At a glance
| Alcazar Dead Man's Switch | Ente Locker + Legacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Missed check-ins, then grace and reminders, then delivery | Trusted contact initiates recovery; you can block during the wait |
| What recipients get | Only what you wrote per contact (and attachments), on per-contact delays | Full Ente account access after recovery (Locker, Photos, Auth) |
| Contacts | Email, Signal, Telegram; no signup | Must be Ente users; invite must be accepted |
| Where you work | Web | Locker app: iOS and Android; public links for some items in browser |
| Pricing (high level) | Paid DMS plans (list $4.99/mo, $49/yr, or $490 lifetime; code EARLY60 for $2/$20/$200 at checkout) | Locker free tier (100 items, 1GB); larger vault with a paid Ente plan |
| Source | Commercial product from Alcazar | Open source (Ente) |
Ente's own docs: Ente Locker overview, Legacy, installation. If their limits or steps change, their help center wins.
What actually fires the handoff
Dead Man's Switch assumes you will check in on a rhythm you choose. If life gets in the way, reminders stack on the channels you picked. Only after the full escalation ends with no reply do outbound messages leave. The story is: silence plus time, not a person clicking "start" on day one.
Legacy is the opposite shape. Someone you named must start recovery. That can be right when you are incapacitated, but it is not automatic on silence. The upside: nobody inherits your Ente world because you forgot a ping. The downside: if nobody knows to start, or they hesitate, nothing moves until they do.
Granularity vs whole account
We are built around packets per person. Your spouse gets one letter and PDF next week; your business partner gets a different email two weeks later; your lawyer gets a short heads-up a month out. You can tune who learns what and when, without giving everyone the same master key on day zero.
Legacy, when it completes, is one big door: the trusted contact sets a new password and steps into your Ente account. That includes Locker, but also Photos and Auth tied to that account. Great if you already live in Ente and want continuity there. Less ideal if you only wanted to hand off a slice, or if Photos in the same account holds things you did not mean to bundle into the same inheritance path.
Who can be on the receiving end
Our contacts are addresses and handles. They do not install our app to receive the delivery. That matters when your successor is a parent who will not adopt a new platform, or a lawyer who should get one email, not a new vault habit.
Ente Legacy requires Ente accounts and an accepted invite. That keeps everything inside an ecosystem you both trust. It also adds friction: everyone in the chain has to be on Ente before crisis hits.
Encryption and trust
Both products pitch end-to-end encryption for the sensitive material they hold. Ente documents that clearly for Locker; we encrypt stored messages and files until delivery. Neither replaces your judgment about what to put in writing.
When Ente is the better fit
You already use Ente Photos and Auth and want one continuity story across the account. You want a mobile-first document vault with collections and sharing, and you are fine with Legacy's recovery model. You value open source you can audit yourself. Those are fair reasons to lean Ente.
When Dead Man's Switch is the better fit
You want automatic delivery tied to missed check-ins, not a contact-led recovery flow. You need different content and timing per recipient, or recipients who will not create another account. You prefer doing this in a browser with a seed-based login. That is the lane we are in.
Using both
Some people store scans in Locker and still want timed, channel-based outbound instructions elsewhere. That is coherent if you accept two products and two renewal rhythms. We are not going to tell you to standardize on us alone if Ente already solves half the problem well.
FAQ
Does Ente Legacy run on a check-in schedule?
No. Ente Legacy is time-delayed account recovery. A trusted contact starts recovery; you get notified right away; after a waiting period (7, 14, or 30 days by default) they can finish recovery if you do not block it. It does not watch for missed check-ins the way Dead Man's Switch does.
Do trusted contacts need an Ente account for Legacy?
Yes. Ente requires trusted contacts to be Ente users and to accept your Legacy invite. Dead Man's Switch delivers to email, Signal, or Telegram; recipients do not need an Alcazar account.
What does someone get after Ente Legacy completes?
They reset the password and access your Ente account, including Locker, Photos, and Auth data tied to that account, not just Locker. Dead Man's Switch sends only the messages and files you configured for each contact, on the delays you set.
Can I use both products?
Yes, if it fits your threat model. Ente Locker can hold scans and structured notes; Dead Man's Switch can send instructions or pointers to people who are not on Ente. You would maintain two systems and two bills where both are paid.
Is either a will or legal estate plan?
No. Both are practical continuity tools. Wills, executors, and local law still matter where they apply.
If automatic check-ins and per-contact delivery match how you think about risk, you can set it up in just a few minutes.