# Kernels vs HookVault

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kernels at none against HookVault's 6. Kernels also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). HookVault's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. HookVault sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Kernels asks for nothing beyond the download.

HookVault holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Kernels's written reviews are positive against 100% of HookVault's.

Kernels ships an update every 2 months, HookVault fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kernels | HookVault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernels-private-search-engine/id1591632823/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hookvault/id6766378996/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 30 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Funnls LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591632825) | [HookVault LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896282757) |

## What reviewers say

### Kernels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kernels-private-search-engine/id1591632823)

This app acts as a personal search engine, allowing you to index and quickly find your saved text, web pages, images, emails, and documents. It prioritizes user privacy and synchronizes your data across devices for easy access anywhere. It helps boost productivity by making your digital information instantly searchable.

**Highlights:** Personal search index, Save text, web pages, images, Search emails and documents, Privacy-focused indexing, Cross-device synchronization, Boost productivity and organization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### HookVault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hookvault/id6766378996)

Organize and quickly find all your creative ideas in one secure place. Search across text, notes, and media to locate saved hooks, scripts, drafts, and more. This tool helps creators manage their content without generating or publishing posts.

**Highlights:** Save hooks, captions, scripts, and drafts, Store images and videos, Search across all saved content, Filter by platform and content type, Copy, edit, or delete saved entries, Private and secure vault

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HookVault Pro | $7.99 | per month |
| HookVault +10 GB | $7.99 | per month |
| HookVault Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| HookVault +50 GB | $19.99 | per month |
| HookVault +200 GB | $44.99 | per month |
| HookVault +500 GB | $99.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kernels free?

Kernels is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HookVault free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Kernels or HookVault?

HookVault is rated higher. Kernels averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while HookVault averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.

### Do Kernels or HookVault have ads?

Neither Kernels nor HookVault shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kernels or HookVault?

Kernels ships an update every 2 months, and HookVault fortnightly. Most recently, Kernels was updated on September 19, 2026 and HookVault on September 19, 2026.

---

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