ABOUT SWIFTLET LABS
We're Swiftlet Labs, an independent technology company building online software and tools we created to serve our own needs, without the compromises you're used to accepting.
We don't chase hype, slap AI on everything we ship, or pursue markets for the sake of making a quick buck - we're about building useful tools through the lens of independence, sustainability, ethics and putting our customers first.
Independence isn't just a talking point for us. Anyone can say they're self-funded, but we've built our infrastructure so we're not reliant on big tech.
To start, we own and operate our own hardware, run our own global anycast network with our own IP space, and handle data on our own servers.
This means we can (and have) architected our infrastructure to prioritize privacy and reliability at every level as opposed to delegating this to the whims of a hyperscaler.
Technical specifications aside, we're not looking to exit in a few years, we're here to maintain and invest in our services long-term, so the spirit that fuels how we do things isn't at risk of disappearing overnight.
We believe that users having autonomy over their personal data is a fundamental right.
The bar is quite low when it comes to privacy, so whilst not impressive by the standards we think companies should be held to - we operate in a manner where the processing of your personal data isn't a promise cited in a policy, it's something you actively control.
We don't engage in tracking, we don't share your data with 3rd parties, and if you want to delete your account from any of our services, we make sure that your personal information is removed.
Software is often priced exploitatively. The costs aren't anchored to the real price it takes to run, but rather how much companies can get away with charging. We think that's backwards and instead run a sustainable business without locking core features behind premium tiers.
Take per-seat pricing for Swiftlet Mail. Adding a mailbox costs us close to nothing, so if we followed the industry and charged per seat, we'd just be punishing you for being a bigger company.
Our internal pricing strategy is to have a strict cap against our own costs. We don't meter what costs us nothing to give you, and our sustainability doesn't depend on your growth. To be clear, this isn't a promise to be the cheapest, it's a promise about being fair.
We think the democratization of information is incredibly important.
We write in public so our team can provide guides, tutorials, support and general opinions within the realm of technology.
As a company, we recognize that our existence is possible by standing on the shoulders of those who iterated before us, so we assume a moral responsibility to give back as much as we can.
One problem with the way services are marketed is what we call "technically not a lie." It's not an outright lie, but claims get made with the express purpose of giving people a false sense of security.
You should ask yourself this question - if overselling is seen as acceptable, what does the company think of its users? Do they really care about providing a service ethically, or is it just about maximizing profits?
Without naming names, a lot of privacy focused email providers make technically true claims about their encryption that leave you feeling like their platform is the Signal of email, which might be true for intra-provider communication, but when that makes up almost none of the mail an average person sends or receives, the claim describes an edge case rather than the product.
So given the technology is the same, do you trust the provider who starts off by showcasing the limitations, or the one leaning on perfect copytext to give you a good impression?