Comparison

FileShield vs PrivyPDF

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

Head to head
About

FileShield

Features
Read full description

FileShield is a fully offline vault, built from the ground up for total privacy. Your medical records, tax forms, and financial contracts never leave your device. DUAL-MODE SEARCH WITH APPLE INTELLIGENCE Search your entire library for exact text, or ask questions and let local-only knowledge do the heavy lifting. Need to know the deductible on a 40-page health insurance PDF? Just ask. FileShield analyzes the text and delivers exact answers with source page citations, all while you are in Airplane Mode. ABSOLUTE PRIVACY & BIOMETRIC SECURITY Your data belongs to you. Lock your entire library behind Face ID or Touch ID and your vault will remain impenetrable even when your device is unlocked. Enable our strict "Local-Only Mode" to actively block iCloud backups, ensuring your sensitive files stay strictly on your device. SECURE OFFLINE SCANNING & IMPORT Digitize physical paperwork instantly. Use our built-in document scanner to capture wet-ink contracts and physical receipts directly into your encrypted vault without relying on third-party cloud processing. Already have a digital file? Use the iOS Share Extension to seamlessly save documents directly from mail, photos, etc. INTUITIVE DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT FileShield utilizes native iOS and iPadOS design paradigms, offering seamless drag-and-drop file organization, custom nested folders, and clean Grid or List views.

About

PrivyPDF

Features
Read full description

PrivyPDF lets you chat with your PDF documents using your own AIβ€”powered by Ollama on your local network. Your data stays on your device and your LAN. FEATURES β€’ Chat with the current PDF: ask questions and get answers grounded in the document β€’ Local AI via Ollama: set your server URL and choose Chat, Embedding, and OCR models in Settings β€’ Parse & Index: extract text and optional embeddings; trigger automatically on import (when Ollama is configured) or manually from Library or Chat β€’ Remove documents: long-press a PDF in Library to remove it β€’ Export answers to Markdown, JSON, or Word (RTF) β€’ Library: import, open, and manage multiple PDFs β€’ First-time setup: prompt to configure Ollama Base URL and models SETTINGS β€’ Ollama Base URL, request timeout β€’ Chat, Embedding, and OCR model pickers (refresh from Ollama) β€’ Model temperature slider β€’ Use Embeddings toggle for semantic retrieval β€’ Retrieval options: TopK, history turns, chunk size Requires an Ollama server on your network (e.g. http://192.168.x.x:11434). or LM Studio on your network (e.g. http://192.168.x.x:1234/v1) No cloud; all processing is local or on your LAN.

Screenshots

FileShield4 screens
PrivyPDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FileShield at none against PrivyPDF's 1. FileShield also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). PrivyPDF's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. PrivyPDF sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. FileShield asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FileShield ships an update daily, PrivyPDF every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
FileShield versus PrivyPDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFileShieldPrivyPDF
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” better
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size58 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDark Fusion Labs LLCGUOYU WANG

In-app purchases

None

FileShield

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

PrivyPDF

One-time1
  • PrivyPDF Pro$9.99

Questions

Is FileShield free?
FileShield is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PrivyPDF free?
PrivyPDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FileShield or PrivyPDF have ads?
Neither FileShield nor PrivyPDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FileShield or PrivyPDF?
FileShield ships an update daily, and PrivyPDF every 3 weeks. Most recently, FileShield was updated on September 20, 2026 and PrivyPDF on October 3, 2026.

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