# Collection vs Photo Vault

The clearest difference is ads: Photo Vault at none against Collection's shown. Photo Vault also leads on ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Collection sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Photo Vault sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Collection against 5.0 for Photo Vault. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

Collection ships an update every 9 days, Photo Vault every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Collection | Photo Vault |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collection-private-vault/id6474062804/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-vault-secure-folder/id6760214794/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **3** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arumugam Kalaichelvan](https://appshunter.io/developer/541795739) | [雪梅 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882062404) |

## What reviewers say

### Collection

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/collection-private-vault/id6474062804)

Securely store your private photos and videos within a personal vault on your device. Organize your media with unlimited folders and protect it with strong passcodes, Touch ID, or Face ID. Receive instant break-in reports via email for added security.

**Highlights:** Unlimited folder creation, Original media quality preservation, Device-only storage, Passcode, Touch ID, Face ID protection, Fake passcode option, Instant break-in reports

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### Photo Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/photo-vault-secure-folder/id6760214794)

Securely hide your private photos, videos, and files in a protected folder on your device. Access your hidden content with a PIN or Face ID, and utilize features like decoy vaults and intruder alerts for enhanced privacy. This app keeps your sensitive data local and under your control.

**Highlights:** Hide private photos and videos, PIN and Face ID lock, Decoy vault, Intruder selfie alerts, Local-only storage, Lock PDFs and documents, Private camera capture

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pic Safe Lifetime Pro | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Collection free?

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

### Is Photo Vault free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Collection or Photo Vault?

Collection and Photo Vault are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Collection or Photo Vault have ads?

Collection shows ads; Photo Vault does not.

### Which is updated more often, Collection or Photo Vault?

Collection ships an update every 9 days, and Photo Vault every 2 weeks. Most recently, Collection was updated on November 4, 2026 and Photo Vault on November 9, 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.*