Data Safety in License Store

License Store keeps important information about purchased apps in one place: license keys, license files, purchase e-mail addresses, receipts, invoices, notes, and attachments.

This information is often hard to rebuild later. It may be spread across old e-mails, downloaded files, vendor accounts, and PDF receipts. It also tends to matter most at inconvenient moments: when you move to a new Mac, reinstall macOS, replace a failed disk, or need to activate an app again.

For that reason, License Store does not rely only on one local database. The main library is stored on your Mac, License Store creates local backups automatically, and if you use iCloud on your Mac, the library can sync through iCloud as well.

There is also an important limit: License Store does not add its own password-manager-style encryption layer around the library or local backups.

Local Storage

License Store's primary library is stored on your Mac.

That library includes the app records you create, license details, notes, and attachments you add to entries.

License Store uses SwiftData to manage the library. On disk, the local store is a SQLite database in License Store's app data location.

iCloud Sync

If you use iCloud on your Mac, License Store can sync the library through Apple's iCloud system. This lets the same library be available on your Macs signed in to that iCloud account.

Sync is handled by macOS and iCloud. License Store shows CloudKit status and activity so you can check whether the system is currently syncing or up to date.

You can also check sync and data information in License Store settings.

Local Backups

License Store creates local backups automatically. You can manage backup settings in Settings → Backups.

Local backups give you a restore point outside the current library. They are useful if data is deleted by mistake, if you are cleaning up your library, or if you want a recent fallback before making larger changes.

By default, new backups skip attachments larger than 10 MB. This keeps backups smaller while leaving the original attachments in your main library.

Exporting a Separate Copy

License Store can export your entries to a separate file. You can keep that file as an extra copy, move it to another Mac, or use selected license data in another app.

You can export entries as JSON, CSV, or a License Store file (.ls). The License Store format is the best choice when you want the most complete copy, because it preserves the full entry, including file-based licenses and attachments.

CSV and JSON are useful when you want license data in a format that works well with spreadsheets, scripts, or other tools. They focus on key-based entries and the main license fields.

Backups have a different role: they are restore points for your current License Store library. Export creates a file you choose and can keep wherever you want.

Read more: Exporting and Moving Your License Library.

Encryption

License Store does not add its own separate encryption layer around the library or local backups.

That means it is not a replacement for a password manager or an encrypted vault. If you want license keys to live inside the same protected vault as your passwords, use a password manager for that data.

For general protection on your Mac, keep FileVault turned on. FileVault helps protect data stored on the Mac, including files, e-mail, downloads, notes, and License Store data.

Hiding License Keys in the Window

License Store can hide license keys in the app window when you do not want them visible at a glance.

This is useful when you are sharing your screen, working in a public place, or simply do not want a key displayed all the time.

Hiding a key is a display feature. It does not encrypt the saved value or change how the data is stored.

What This Means in Practice

License Store is built to organize software licenses and the files that belong with them. It keeps that information local, can sync it through iCloud, creates local backups automatically, and lets you export data when you need a separate file.

It is not designed to be a password vault. That distinction is intentional and worth understanding before you decide where to keep each kind of data.