# App Lock™ vs Secure Folder

The clearest difference is monetization model: Secure Folder at free with in-app purchases against App Lock™'s subscription. Secure Folder also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (31% vs 18%). App Lock™'s advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 439). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. App Lock™ sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Secure Folder sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for App Lock™ against 4.5 for Secure Folder. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: App Lock™ has 2.6K ratings behind it against 439, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of App Lock™'s written reviews are positive against 31% of Secure Folder's.

App Lock™ ships an update every 5 weeks, Secure Folder every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | App Lock™ | Secure Folder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-lock-locked-apps-vault/id1481979331/reviews) | [4.5 (439 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-folder-private-vault/id6471090693/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 439 |
| Positive reviews | 18.2% of reviews | **30.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 41 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Plane Cubes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712487303) | [Khushal Vasani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1714420029) |

## What reviewers say

### App Lock™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/app-lock-locked-apps-vault/id1481979331)

Secure your digital life by locking apps, protecting photos and videos in a private vault, and browsing the web anonymously. Store contacts, passwords, and notes safely with passcode protection.

**Highlights:** Lock Apps, Photo & Video Vault, Private Browser, Secure Notes & Passwords, Passcode Protection, Custom Albums

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Access Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Hide Apps Pro Week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Access Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Access Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Start 7 Day Trial | $19.99 | per year |
| Hide Apps Pro Year | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Amazing
- 🔒 Privacy-focused
- 📂 Useful for storing files

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔐 Locked content behind paywall
- 🤑 Expensive subscription
- 🔍 Misleading app description
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🤯 Frustrating user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Content locked after free trial ends
- Unable to access stored files even after subscription
- App crashes or freezes frequently

**Requested features**

- Allow access to stored content without subscription
- Provide clear information about subscription requirements
- Improve app stability and fix bugs


### Secure Folder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-folder-private-vault/id6471090693)

Securely store and protect your private photos, videos, files, and apps with a password-protected vault. Features include intruder selfies, encrypted file sharing, and cloud backup for peace of mind.

**Highlights:** Password protection (PIN, pattern, biometric), Intruder selfie and break-in alerts, Encrypted file sharing, Cloud backup and restore, App lock, Fake PIN for decoy vault

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Week | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Year | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🔒 Hides photos and passwords
- 👍 Extremely useful app
- 👍 App is perfect

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Videos not playing after update
- 🐛 Photos don’t upload
- 🐛 Lost all images and videos
- 🐛 Videos not viewing in the app
- 🐛 Ads are non-stop

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not playing after update
- Videos show as black thumbnails with only duration
- Photos do not upload
- Lost all images and videos
- Cannot view videos

**Requested features**

- Change photo orientation in the app
- Change video orientation in the app


## Frequently asked questions

### Is App Lock™ free?

App Lock™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Secure Folder free?

Secure Folder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, App Lock™ or Secure Folder?

App Lock™ and Secure Folder are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.6K and 439 ratings respectively.

### Do App Lock™ or Secure Folder have ads?

Both App Lock™ and Secure Folder show ads.

### Which is updated more often, App Lock™ or Secure Folder?

App Lock™ ships an update every 5 weeks, and Secure Folder every 2 weeks. Most recently, App Lock™ was updated on September 24, 2026 and Secure Folder on September 22, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*