Bossanova

What Bossanova does

Bossanova is a proprietary encrypted local vault for Windows and macOS. It stores named private fields that approved MCP clients can use while making HTTPS requests or running approved environment or file-carrier programs. The design separates three decisions: whether a client may connect, whether AI access is allowed for a particular field, and whether a destination or program is approved.

Private values are not returned in ordinary tool responses by default. Instead, receiving APIs and approved programs can receive the actual values when a request or execution is authorized. This makes Bossanova relevant for local agent workflows that need selected credentials or other private fields without exposing them directly in the model-facing response.

How it works

The desktop application holds the encrypted local vault. An MCP client connects through the Bossanova setup generated by the installed app. After approval, a client can reference named fields for supported HTTPS requests or program execution. Destination and program approval determine where those values may be delivered, while field-level AI access controls whether an individual private field can be used by AI-driven requests.

The separation of approvals is important: connecting a client does not by itself grant access to every field or authorize every destination. Receiving APIs and approved environment or file-carrier programs get the real values; ordinary tool responses keep them withheld by default.

Setup and configuration

Install the Bossanova desktop application on Windows or macOS, then use its generated setup for one of the supported clients: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or OpenAI Codex CLI. An account and periodic online license checks are required. The service does not automatically synchronize vault data to the cloud.

Plans are organized by field and device limits. The free plan allows 10 fields on one device. Plus costs USD 2.99 per month and allows 100 fields across two devices. Pro costs USD 5.99 per month and allows unlimited fields across five devices. Annual plans are billed upfront.

Tools and capabilities

• Store private values in an encrypted local vault.
• Reference named private fields in HTTPS requests.
• Pass approved values to authorized program executions.
• Keep private values out of ordinary tool responses by default.
• Apply separate approval decisions for clients, fields, destinations, and programs.
• Use the desktop app to generate client configuration for supported MCP clients.

Limitations and notes

Bossanova is local rather than an automatic cloud-sync service, and it does not provide team role-based access control. Its protections are specific to the vault and approval flow: other files, process memory, and the clipboard are not isolated. Receiving APIs and approved programs receive real private values, so those endpoints and programs remain responsible for handling them securely. Account access and periodic online license validation are part of operation.