# Paperlock vs Blackout

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Paperlock at none against Blackout's 2. Blackout's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 13 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Blackout sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Paperlock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Paperlock ships an update every 13 months, Blackout every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Paperlock | Blackout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 13 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Size | 1 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.5 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [John Larson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1838381602) | [Mark Bullock](https://appshunter.io/developer/6784762149) |

## What reviewers say

### Paperlock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperlock-document-vault/id6752235497)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Blackout

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackout-share-safely/id6810733572)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blackout Pro | $9.99 | per year |
| Blackout — Share Safely Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paperlock free?

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

### Is Blackout free?

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

### Do Paperlock or Blackout have ads?

Neither Paperlock nor Blackout shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Paperlock or Blackout?

Paperlock ships an update every 13 months, and Blackout every 2 weeks. Most recently, Paperlock was updated on October 30, 2026 and Blackout on October 31, 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.*