Archivist vs SecureDoc · Document Vault AI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Archivist
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Archivist is a document archiving app available for iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. No account signup, no login required other than iCloud. And best of all: no subscription. Archivist stores your documents as PDF securely in iCloud Drive, following a simple folder path pattern: Archive Drawer - Topic(s) - correspondent - year - PDF file. Archivist lets you search through your documents using full text search and filter labels like topics, document type, correspondents and archive drawer. Get rid of your messy folder system and let Archivist manage your documents for you! Ready for more? Switch on automatic AI document properties detection for new documents for enhanced document labelling including topics, document type and the document title. You can also use AI to export the data of a name card as new contact! Data privacy information: other than document creation with AI support, your document data will never leave your device(s) and Apple's iCloud servers. Archivist will never: - send data to third parties other than Apple's iCloud service without your consent - use any of your data for advertising purposes - store any of your document or user data on other servers than Apple's iCloud servers. New: Apple Intelligence is now available on supported devices. Instead of sending your document data to a third party AI provider, you can use Apple Intelligence locally for document auto-tagging. Apple Intelligence may not be available in all regions.
SecureDoc · Document Vault AI
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Your documents deserve better than a shoebox — and more privacy than a cloud. SecureDoc turns your iPhone into a private, AI-powered document vault. Scan receipts, contracts, invoices, medical records, or any paperwork — and find them again in seconds. Everything stays on your device by default. No third-party servers. You decide whether your documents stay only on your device or sync through your own Apple iCloud. Just you and your documents. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Unlike other scanner apps, SecureDoc never sends your files to third-party servers. All scanning, OCR, and AI processing happens entirely on your device. You're in control: keep everything strictly on your device, or use your own Apple iCloud to sync between iPhone and iPad — the choice is always yours. Your sensitive documents — tax returns, medical records, IDs — stay where they belong: with you. SCAN & UNDERSTAND Point your camera at any document and let AI do the rest. Multi-page scanning creates searchable PDFs instantly. On-device OCR extracts text in multiple languages, while smart AI generates summaries and detects the document language — all without an internet connection. NEVER MISS AN EXPIRY SecureDoc automatically detects expiration dates on passports, ID cards, driver's licenses, insurance policies and more — and reminds you in time: 180, 90, 30 and 7 days before a document expires. The new alerts bell also tracks payment due dates and appointments, and you can add any deadline to your calendar with one tap. SAVE FROM ANYWHERE The new Share Extension saves PDFs and photos from Mail, Safari or Files straight into SecureDoc — choose the name and folder as you save, while duplicate detection warns you if you already have the file. Home Screen widgets and Shortcuts keep expiring documents and Quick Scan one tap away. ORGANIZE EFFORTLESSLY Stop searching through piles. Sort documents into categories, add custom tags, and use full-text search to find any receipt, contract, or invoice in seconds. Collapse categories for a clean overview, or filter by date, tags, and type. Select multiple documents to move or delete them at once, drag & drop them between folders, or long-press a folder to rename it. LOCKED DOWN TIGHT Protect your document vault with Face ID, Touch ID, or a PIN code. A recovery code ensures you're never locked out. Your files are secured in the iOS Keychain — the same security used by banking apps. BACKUP ON YOUR TERMS Create complete ZIP backups of your entire library — metadata, tags, and files included. Save them wherever YOU choose: external drive, USB, or your own NAS. Restore or merge backups anytime. Or use Apple iCloud storage to use the app on both iPhone and iPad. START FREE Scan and organize up to 15 documents completely free. Upgrade to SecureDoc Pro for unlimited documents and full access to every feature. Why people choose SecureDoc over other scanners: 100% on-device — no third-party servers, no data leaks Face ID / Touch ID protection AI-powered OCR + smart summaries Categories, tags & full-text search Multi-page PDF scanning Backup & restore as ZIP Clean, intuitive design No ads. Ever. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.varadzin.com/terms-of-use-eula-for-securedoc/ Privacy Policy: https://www.varadzin.com/privacy-policy-for-securedoc/
Screenshots
Verdict
Archivist and SecureDoc · Document Vault AI are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Archivist sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and SecureDoc · Document Vault AI sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Archivist ships an update monthly, SecureDoc · Document Vault AI every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Archivist | SecureDoc · Document Vault AI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dominik Butz | Frantisek Varadzin |
In-app purchases
Archivist
- Doc Properties Detection 25x$0.29
- Doc Properties Detection 50x$0.49
- Doc Properties Detection 100x$0.69
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- Unlimited Documents$0.99
SecureDoc · Document Vault AI
- SecureDoc PRO$2.991 Month
- English$3.991 Month
- Unlimited Access$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Archivist free?
Is SecureDoc · Document Vault AI free?
Do Archivist or SecureDoc · Document Vault AI have ads?
Which is updated more often, Archivist or SecureDoc · Document Vault AI?
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