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Cybersecurity · head to head

Baffle vs Pieces for Developers

Baffle logo

Baffle

Cybersecurity

Transparent proxy that encrypts, tokenises and masks database fields without application code changes

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Pieces for Developers logo

Pieces for Developers

Developer Tools

AI-powered memory layer that captures and organizes developer work

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Pieces for Developers has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Baffle the proxy sits in the production data path, so it becomes a latency contributor and a failure domain, and any deployment needs load and failover testing that customers routinely underestimate.; Pieces for Developers requires installing and running a background desktop app rather than being purely cloud-based.
  • They diverge on capability: Baffle covers Transparent proxy deployment, Pieces for Developers covers Activity Timeline.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Baffle and Pieces for Developers actually diverge.

Attributes where Baffle and Pieces for Developers differ
AttributeBafflePieces for Developers
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsLinux, Webwindows, mac, linux
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2018

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Baffle

  • Transparent proxy deployment
  • Field-level encryption
  • Tokenisation
  • Format-preserving de-identification
  • Dynamic data masking
  • Bring your own key
  • Analytics and pipeline support
  • AI pipeline protection

Only in Pieces for Developers

  • Activity Timeline
  • Conversational Search
  • Artifact Generation
  • Cross-tool Integration
  • MCP Server
  • On-device Storage

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Baffle

  • A bank with a legacy application it cannot safely refactor that has an audit finding requiring field-level encryption of account datanot Pieces for Developers
  • A company wanting to take a reporting database out of PCI scope by tokenising card fields before they landnot Pieces for Developers
  • A healthcare organisation that must ensure database administrators and cloud operators cannot read patient identifiers in the tables they administernot Pieces for Developers
  • A team moving regulated data into a warehouse or an AI retrieval pipeline that needs identifiers de-identified in transit without rewriting the ingest jobsnot Pieces for Developers

Pieces for Developers

  • Recalling code snippets and context from earlier work sessionsnot Baffle
  • Generating standup updates automatically from captured activitynot Baffle
  • Feeding long-term memory into AI coding assistants via MCPnot Baffle
  • Searching past research and meeting notes conversationallynot Baffle

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Baffle

  • The proxy sits in the production data path, so it becomes a latency contributor and a failure domain, and any deployment needs load and failover testing that customers routinely underestimate.
  • What you can still do in SQL depends on the protection mode chosen, and stronger modes restrict comparisons, joins and aggregations on protected columns, which can quietly break existing reports and analytics.
  • Database and driver coverage is finite, so an organisation with an unusual engine, an old driver or heavy use of stored procedures may find its most important system is exactly the one not supported.
  • Pricing is unpublished and scales with protected data stores, which means an enterprise trying to protect a long tail of small databases pays disproportionately compared with protecting a handful of large ones.
  • Key management is your responsibility under bring your own key, and while that is the correct security posture, it moves a real operational burden and a genuine data-loss risk onto the customer.

Pieces for Developers

  • Requires installing and running a background desktop app rather than being purely cloud-based.
  • Free tier trial of Pro features requires a credit card and reverts after 7 days.
  • Local-first storage means memory is not automatically synced across multiple machines without Enterprise controls.
  • Effectiveness depends on the breadth of integrations enabled, which adds setup overhead.

Pricing, plan by plan

Baffle

On request
  • Baffle Data Protection Services$undefined/year
    • Quoted by protected data stores and deployment scale
    • Self-managed and cloud marketplace deployment options
    • Annual subscription

Pieces for Developers

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic capture and search
    • 7-day trial of Pro features
  • Pro$18.99/month
    • Long-term on-device memory
    • Cross-app capture
    • Single-click summaries and recaps
  • Enterprise$22.99/month
    • All Pro features
    • Organization-wide capture and feature controls
    • Approved AI providers and custom API keys

Which should you pick?

Choose Baffle if

  • You need transparent proxy deployment.
  • You work on Linux, Web.
  • You also want field-level encryption.
Baffle review

Choose Pieces for Developers if

  • You need activity timeline.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want conversational search.
Pieces for Developers review

Questions people ask

Is Baffle or Pieces for Developers better?
Neither clearly leads. Baffle starts at On request and Pieces for Developers at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Baffle or Pieces for Developers?
Pieces for Developers has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Baffle and Free for Pieces for Developers.
Does Baffle or Pieces for Developers run on more platforms?
Baffle runs on Linux, Web. Pieces for Developers runs on windows, mac, linux.
Can I use Pieces for Developers for free?
Yes. Pieces for Developers has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Baffle starts at On request.
What is Baffle best used for?
Baffle is most often used for a bank with a legacy application it cannot safely refactor that has an audit finding requiring field-level encryption of account data, a company wanting to take a reporting database out of pci scope by tokenising card fields before they land, a healthcare organisation that must ensure database administrators and cloud operators cannot read patient identifiers in the tables they administer, a team moving regulated data into a warehouse or an ai retrieval pipeline that needs identifiers de-identified in transit without rewriting the ingest jobs. Of those, a bank with a legacy application it cannot safely refactor that has an audit finding requiring field-level encryption of account data and a company wanting to take a reporting database out of pci scope by tokenising card fields before they land are not what Pieces for Developers is typically brought in for.
What can Baffle do that Pieces for Developers cannot?
Baffle covers Transparent proxy deployment, Field-level encryption, Tokenisation, Format-preserving de-identification. Pieces for Developers covers Activity Timeline, Conversational Search, Artifact Generation, Cross-tool Integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Baffle: Do applications need code changes?

No. That is the central design choice. Baffle intercepts traffic as a proxy rather than requiring an SDK call at every read and write.

Pieces for Developers: Does Pieces store my data in the cloud?

Pieces stores captured data on-device by default, giving users granular controls to pause, disable or delete captures rather than relying solely on cloud storage.

Source
Baffle: Can you still query encrypted columns?

Partly, and it depends on the protection mode. Some modes preserve equality matching and format, stronger modes restrict what SQL operations remain possible, so this must be tested against your actual queries.

Pieces for Developers: Is there a free plan for Pieces?

Pieces does not offer a permanently free plan; new users instead get a 7-day free trial on any plan, which requires a credit card to start.

Source
Baffle: Does it take systems out of PCI scope?

Tokenisation can reduce scope by ensuring card data never lands in the protected system, but scope reduction is an assessor judgement, not a product setting.

Pieces for Developers: What does the Pro plan cost?

Pro is $18.99 per month billed monthly, with roughly a 25% discount available when billed yearly.

Source
Baffle: Who holds the encryption keys?

You do, through your own key management service. Baffle supports bring your own key rather than holding customer keys itself.

Pieces for Developers: What does the Enterprise plan add?

Enterprise costs $22.99 per month (or $69.99 per quarter) and adds organization-wide admin controls, approved AI providers, and governance over captured data.

Source
Pieces for Developers: Can I cancel my Pieces subscription?

Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime from account settings, and all plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee.

Source
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