Comparison

Steganography vs Phasm

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Steganography

Hide secret messages or images within photos. The encoded content is only decipherable with the same application, ensuring private communication. It utilizes steganography techniques to alter pixels imperceptibly.

Highlights
  • Hide messages in photos
  • Hide images in photos
  • Imperceptible pixel alteration
  • Private message sharing
  • Premium subscription for unlimited features
Features
Read full description

Have you ever wanted to hide a secret message inside a photo? With Steganography, you can encode a message or image in a picture and then save it or send it to a friend. The message can only be decoded using the same app, but if you want to ensure that only the intended receiver can read the message. Steganography is the best steganographic app available for iOS. Send messages and images without anyone knowing. Steganography is the practice of hiding data in plain sight. Pictograph works by changing the least significant bits in each pixel in a specific way so that a message can be hidden. Because Pictograph only changes the least significant bits in a pixel, the change is imperceptible to human eyes. Steganography Premium plans with No commitment. Cancel anytime. Full access to unlimited pro features. Length & Price: Steganography Weekly Premium - $2.99/Week Steganography Yearly Premium - $9.99/Year Steganography Lifetime Premium - $19.99. One-time payment Subscription payments will be charged to your iTunes account upon confirmation of purchase and at the start of each renewal term. Subscription with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. You can manage your subscription and cancel it in the iTunes settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Unused portions of a free trial will be forfeited upon purchasing a premium subscription. Terms of Service: https://hoangtam101.github.io/lighthouse/term/ Privacy: https://hoangtam101.github.io/lighthouse/policy/ If you have any feedback, do not hesitate to contact us at: hoangtam.cntt@gmail.com

About

Phasm

Features
Read full description

Hidden in plain sight. Phasm turns ordinary photos into secret messengers. Your photo looks exactly the same — but it carries encrypted messages and files that only someone with the right passphrase can reveal. TWO MODES FOR TWO NEEDS • Ghost Mode — Maximum stealth. Advanced adaptive algorithms make hidden data virtually undetectable, even by statistical analysis tools. Deep Cover auto-activates for non-JPEG photos with ~43% more capacity. Supports file attachments alongside your message. • Armor Mode — Maximum durability. Your hidden message survives recompression, re-encoding, and mild cropping. Fortress sub-mode auto-activates for short messages and handles aggressive compression from popular messaging apps. SERIOUS ENCRYPTION • AES-256-GCM-SIV authenticated encryption — always on, not optional. • Argon2id key derivation — resistant to brute-force and GPU attacks. • Post-quantum safe — 256-bit symmetric keys remain secure against quantum computers. • No backdoors. No key escrow. You hold the only key. PRIVACY BY DESIGN • All processing happens on your device. Nothing is uploaded. • No account. No sign-up. No tracking. No ads. • Open-source Rust cryptographic engine — auditable by anyone. • Built for journalists, researchers, activists, curious tinkerers — or just for fun. ONE PHOTO. MULTIPLE SECRETS. Shadow Messages let you hide several independent messages in a single photo — each locked with its own passphrase. Send the same picture to five friends; each one discovers a different message using their name as the key. Nobody knows the others exist. Under pressure to reveal your passphrase? Hand over the primary one. Your shadow messages stay invisible — no header, no marker, no proof they were ever there. MAGIC WAND — ONE TAP TO OPTIMIZE Tap the wand and your photo is silently tuned for better steganographic embedding. Imperceptible texture is added to smooth regions like skies, bokeh, and flat backgrounds — boosting capacity by 10–35% with no visible change. The photo looks identical. The math works better. SHARE YOUR WAY • Share via AirDrop, Messages, email, or any app that handles images. • phasm.link — generate a short link so recipients can decode instantly in the browser or via App Clip. No install needed. • For guaranteed delivery through messaging apps, use "send as file." BUILT FOR iPHONE AND iPAD • Native app optimized for iPhone and iPad. • Supports JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and HEIC — auto-converted for embedding. • Real-time decode progress with integrity scoring. • 38 languages supported. HONEST ABOUT LIMITATIONS • Platforms that resize or re-encode photos may destroy hidden data. Use direct sharing or "send as file." • Capacity depends on image resolution — larger photos carry more data. • Steganography hides the existence of a message. Encryption protects its content. Phasm gives you both.

Screenshots

Steganography4 screens
Phasm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phasm at none against Steganography's 3. Phasm also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). Steganography's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Steganography sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Phasm asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Steganography ships an update every 3 months, Phasm every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Steganography versus Phasm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSteganographyPhasm
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (27 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings27 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTam NguyenChristoph Gaffga

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Steganography

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly PREMIUM$2.997 Days
  • Yearly PREMIUM$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Steganography Lifetime Premium$19.99
None

Phasm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Steganography free?
Steganography is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Phasm free?
Phasm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Steganography or Phasm have ads?
Steganography shows ads; Phasm does not.
Which is updated more often, Steganography or Phasm?
Steganography ships an update every 3 months, and Phasm every 4 days. Most recently, Steganography was updated on October 25, 2026 and Phasm on October 24, 2026.

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