Does Northlight Vault store files or credentials?

No. Northlight Vault connects to cloud accounts using official OAuth authentication. Login credentials are never stored by Northlight Vault — authentication happens directly through Google, Microsoft, or Dropbox. Files are not downloaded or cached locally.

Can Northlight Vault edit or delete files?

No. Northlight Vault is read-only by design — it can browse, search, and open files, but cannot move, edit, rename, or delete them. This is a deliberate design decision by Northlight Advisory Services, not a missing feature. Read-only access means the application cannot accidentally modify or remove any of your files.

Northlight · Free Windows App

Northlight Vault

All your cloud storage.
One place.

Browse files across Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox in a single desktop app — without switching tabs, signing in and out, or losing track of where anything lives. Free.

Download for Windows See how it works →

Free · Windows only

Listed on Capterra

At a Glance

Northlight Vault is a free Windows desktop application built by Northlight Advisory Services.
Northlight Vault lets users browse Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox files in a single interface without switching tabs or signing in and out.
Northlight Vault is read-only by design — it finds and opens files; it does not move, edit, or delete them.
No account required beyond existing cloud service logins. No files or credentials stored by Northlight Vault.
Northlight Vault is free. Windows only. Built by Northlight Advisory Services, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

What it does

Northlight Vault is a read-only Windows desktop application that displays files from Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox in one unified view — without uploading, editing, or moving anything.

One view, three services

Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox — all visible in a single interface. Browse folders, find files, and open them without switching apps or accounts.

Read-only by design

Vault is a browser, not an editor. It finds and opens your files — it doesn't move, rename, or delete anything. Your files stay exactly where they are.

Desktop, not browser

A proper Windows desktop application. Open it from your taskbar. No browser tab to lose, no sign-in prompt every session. It's just there when you need it.

See it in action

Northlight Vault showing the connected accounts sidebar with Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox all linked as Elizabeth Lemoine (elizabeth@bynorthlight.ca), with the Documents folder selected and showing empty

Northlight Vault showing the Documents folder with files listed including PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and spreadsheets from connected cloud accounts

Northlight Vault showing the Northlight Projects subfolder inside Documents, containing subfolders and project files from connected cloud accounts

Northlight Vault Help menu open showing options including View Changelog, Check for Updates, About Northlight Vault, and version number v1.0.0, with a welcome banner visible

Click any screenshot to enlarge

Supported cloud services

Google Drive

My Drive, Shared drives, Shared with me

OneDrive

Personal and Microsoft 365

Dropbox

Personal and Business accounts

How it stacks up

Vault doesn't replace your cloud storage — it makes all of it usable at once.

	Free Northlight Vault	Storage Google Drive	Storage OneDrive	Storage Dropbox
Search across multiple accounts at once	✓	One at a time	One at a time	One at a time
Mix Drive + OneDrive + Dropbox in one search	✓	✗	✗	✗
Tab switching required	None	Per account	Per account	Per account
Cost	Free	Free tier / paid	Free tier / paid	Free tier / paid
Privacy	Runs locally No data collected	Google tracking	Microsoft tracking	Dropbox tracking
Replaces your cloud storage	No — works alongside	✓	✓	✓
	Download free →

Windows 10/11 · No installation required · No account needed

Full transparency

What Vault does

Browse files and folders across all connected accounts
Open files in their native app or in your browser
Search across services by filename
Stay signed in between sessions

What Vault doesn't do

Move, rename, or delete your files
Store or sync files locally
Upload or edit documents
Share files or manage permissions

Ready to try it?

Free. No account required beyond your existing cloud services.

Download Northlight Vault

Windows · Free

Help & Documentation →

Frequently asked questions about Northlight Vault

Is Northlight Vault really free?

Yes. Northlight Vault is free. No plans to change that.

What operating systems does Northlight Vault support?

Northlight Vault currently supports Windows only. macOS support is on the roadmap, but Northlight Advisory Services is not committing to a timeline. If macOS matters to you, email [email protected] — it helps prioritise.

Does Vault store my files or credentials?

No. Vault connects to your cloud accounts using their official authentication (OAuth). Your login credentials are never stored by Vault — authentication happens directly through Google, Microsoft, or Dropbox. Files are not downloaded or cached locally.

Can Vault edit or delete my files?

No. Northlight Vault is read-only by design. Northlight Vault can browse and open files, nothing else. This is an explicit design decision by Northlight Advisory Services — not a missing feature.

Who made Northlight Vault?

Vault is built by Northlight Advisory Services — a Canadian strategy, advisory, and AI firm. It started as a tool we built for ourselves and decided was worth sharing. You can learn more at bynorthlight.ca.

Aurora Brief

Stay in the Loop with Northlight

Clear thinking. Real results. Strategy insights, operations learnings, and updates on what Northlight is building — delivered monthly.