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TimeBinder vs Certelo: which file certificate suits you?

Start with one file Any file type. Up to 10 files per TimeBind. Opens plans and pricing.

Clicking opens our plans and pricing page. Start on the Free plan there. Files are hashed locally on your computer; nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

Certelo sells pay-per-certificate records on the Electra Protocol blockchain. TimeBinder records file fingerprints on Bitcoin. Here’s a fair side-by-side.

Your files never leave your computer. With TimeBinder, each file is hashed locally on your own device. Nothing is uploaded or stored by TimeBinder.

TimeBinder vs Certelo: the short answer

Both services calculate your file’s SHA-256 fingerprint in your browser and record only that fingerprint on a blockchain. Certelo records on the Electra Protocol blockchain and sells certificates one at a time, with no subscription and no account needed for a single certificate. Its price per certificate is shown on its pricing page. TimeBinder records on Bitcoin. Its Free plan includes 1 Token a month for one Pooled TimeBind of up to 10 files, with no credit card required, and extra Tokens cost from $5. If you want one certificate without signing up for anything, Certelo is built for that. If you’d rather your record sat on Bitcoin, or you want a free record each month, TimeBinder fits. Both show only that a file existed no later than a recorded time.

Published 1 November 2026. Sources and TimeBinder pricing checked on 1 November 2026.

What is TimeBinder? TimeBinder is a blockchain timestamping service. It shows that a digital file existed no later than a specific time, and that it still matches its fingerprint, by anchoring the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint to the Bitcoin blockchain. Files are hashed in your browser and never uploaded, and each TimeBind comes with a Proof of Time Certificate that can be checked later. It does not prove who created a file or that its contents are true.

TimeBinder vs Certelo at a glance

	Certelo (from its own site)	TimeBinder
Blockchain	Electra Protocol	Bitcoin
File handling	“hashed locally in your browser using SHA-256. Only the fingerprint leaves your device”	Fingerprint calculated in your browser; files never uploaded
How you pay	“pay-per-certificate model. There are no monthly fees, subscriptions, or hidden costs.” Prices are in GBP excluding VAT unless stated otherwise	Free plan: 1 Token a month (one Pooled TimeBind). Tokens: 1 for $5, 3 for $15, 9 for $40 (US dollars). Optional plans from $20 a month
Price per record	Shown on Certelo’s pricing page, with a choice of EUR, CHF, USD or GBP. Check it there	Pooled: 1 Token. ASAP: 3 Tokens
Account	“For a one-time certificate, no account is required.”	Sign up for the Free plan; no credit card required
Files per record	Not stated on the pages checked	Up to 10 files per TimeBind, any size or type
Recording time	Its FAQ says anchoring takes “1 to 2 seconds”	Pooled: usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. ASAP: its own transaction, sent straight away
Checking without the provider	Its FAQ describes checking with “any open-source Electra Protocol block explorer”	ASAP: from the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain. Pooled: checked through TimeBinder
Refunds	“only available before the certificate is committed to the blockchain”	See the TimeBinder Terms and Conditions
Operator	Evoblox Ltd (trading as Certelo), England and Wales	TimeBinder

Where Certelo is stronger

No account for a one-off. You can get a single certificate without registering.
Speed. Its FAQ says the record is anchored within 1 to 2 seconds.
A paper backup. Each certificate includes a word-based fingerprint you can write down.

Where TimeBinder may suit you better

A free record every month. The Free plan’s Token covers one Pooled TimeBind. Certelo’s free test certificate isn’t registered on a blockchain.
Up to 10 files in one record. A specification, its drawings and your notes can share one certificate.
Bitcoin. If you’d rather your record sat on Bitcoin, that’s where TimeBinder records. Choosing a chain is a preference, not a rule.
A plain choice between cost and independence:
– Pooled (1 Token): Your fingerprint is grouped with other users’ in one shared Bitcoin entry, usually recorded within 24 to 48 hours, and often sooner, depending on Bitcoin network activity. It’s checked through TimeBinder.
– ASAP (3 Tokens): It gets its own Bitcoin transaction, sent straight away, and can be checked independently, without relying on TimeBinder.

The Pooled vs ASAP explainer covers the detail.

What a TimeBind shows, and what it doesn’t

What it shows

That this exact file existed no later than the time recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain
That a file shown later still matches its fingerprint: the same file gives the same fingerprint, and any edit gives a different one
An independent record that anyone you allow can check, without relying on your own systems

What it doesn’t show

It doesn’t show who made a file, or who owns it.
It doesn’t show the contents are true or accurate, or whether AI was used.
It doesn’t stop anyone copying or changing a file. It shows whether a file still matches its fingerprint.
A Pooled TimeBind can’t be checked without TimeBinder.
It can’t say how a court, client or anyone else will treat it.

Certelo’s own pages are similarly careful. Its FAQ says it can’t replace e-signatures or secure file archiving. What a TimeBind does show is that a file existed no later than the recorded time. This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, speak to a lawyer in your country. Pooled TimeBinds are verified through TimeBinder. ASAP TimeBinds can also be verified independently, from the certificate and the public Bitcoin blockchain. Checking is always free.

When TimeBinder isn’t the right tool

You want one certificate without creating an account. Certelo offers that.
You need a record within seconds. A Bitcoin transaction takes longer.
You need to protect an invention. A timestamp isn’t a patent. Talk to a patent attorney about filing.
You need a signature or identity check. See DocuSign certificate of completion vs a timestamp.
You want free records you check yourself with technical tools. See TimeBinder vs OpenTimestamps.

TimeBinder pricing

Free: $0. 1 Token a month (1 Pooled TimeBind). No credit card required. Use it each month, as it doesn’t carry over.
Essential: $20 a month for 5 Tokens (5 Pooled, or 1 ASAP + 2 Pooled). A paid plan replaces the Free plan’s monthly Token. Unused Tokens roll over. Cancel any time.
Expert: $50 a month for 15 Tokens (15 Pooled, 5 ASAP, or a mix).
Extra Tokens: 1 for $5, 3 for $15 or 9 for $40. Tokens you buy never expire.

Enterprise plans have custom Token limits and dedicated support. Service terms for every plan are set out in the TimeBinder Terms and Conditions. For an occasional important file, which plan do I need suggests the Free plan plus Tokens as you go.

TimeBinder vs Certelo: FAQ

Is Certelo a subscription?

No. Certelo says it “operates on a pay-per-certificate model”. TimeBinder plans are optional too: you can use the Free plan and buy Tokens only when you need them.

Which blockchain does each use?

Certelo uses the Electra Protocol blockchain. TimeBinder uses Bitcoin.

Do I need an account?

Certelo says no account is needed for a one-time certificate. TimeBinder’s Free plan needs a sign-up but no credit card.

Do either upload my file?

No. Both calculate the fingerprint in your browser, and only the fingerprint leaves your device.

Can someone check the certificate without the company?

Certelo describes checking on an open-source Electra Protocol block explorer. A TimeBinder ASAP TimeBind can be checked from the certificate and the Bitcoin blockchain. A Pooled TimeBind is checked through TimeBinder.

Related guides

TimeBind your files

If you’d like a dated record of an important file on Bitcoin, start on the Free plan: it includes 1 Token a month for one Pooled TimeBind, and no credit card is required.

Open plans and pricing and choose a plan. The Free plan is $0.
Sign in, then add your files. They stay on your computer.
Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.

See plans and pricing →

Your files stay privateEvery file is hashed locally on your own computer. Your files are never uploaded or stored by TimeBinder; only a fingerprint is sealed to Bitcoin.

The Free plan includes 1 Token every month. See pricing