Comparison

Mockingjay vs Video Compressor

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

Head to head
About

Mockingjay

This app securely records video and uploads it in real-time to your Google Drive, ensuring your footage is safe even if your device is lost or damaged. It uses strong encryption and offers features like an emergency PIN for enhanced protection.

Highlights
  • Real-time encrypted video upload
  • Emergency PIN protection
  • Quick-start recording
  • AES-256-GCM encryption
  • Google Drive integration
  • Trusted contacts sharing
Features
Read full description

They can take your phone. Not your footage. Mockingjay turns your iPhone into a secure bodycam. Every few seconds of video is encrypted and uploaded to your own Google Drive while you are still recording. If your phone is grabbed, smashed or confiscated mid-recording, everything up to that moment is already safe. Built for journalists, activists, witnesses, domestic violence survivors and anyone who may need video proof of what happened. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Normal camera apps keep the video on the phone. Cloud apps upload after you stop. Mockingjay uploads during the recording, so there is no gap for anyone to take away. KEY FEATURES • Live encrypted upload: footage reaches the cloud while you record • Your own Google Drive: no Mockingjay servers, nobody else holds your video • AES-256-GCM encryption, with keys protected by the Secure Enclave • Emergency PIN: a second PIN that opens the app but locks this phone out of your recordings, while the cloud copy stays safe • One-press start: record from the Action Button or a Shortcut without typing a PIN • Share with someone you trust: send a private link, and the passphrase separately, so a family member, lawyer or advocate can open your recordings • GPS location and C2PA Content Credentials to support where and when it was filmed (Pro) • 480p, 720p or 1080p quality (Pro) PERFECT FOR • Witnessing a police stop or an arrest • Documenting harassment, stalking or abuse • Covering protests and breaking news • Recording incidents with landlords, neighbours or on the road • Anyone who needs video that survives losing the phone PRIVACY • Recordings go only to your Google Drive account • Encrypted before they leave the phone • No account with us, no footage on our servers • You decide who gets a link MOCKINGJAY PRO Free: recordings up to 60 seconds, 720p, 7-day history. Pro: unlimited length, all qualities, GPS and Content Credentials, full history. Pro is a weekly or yearly auto-renewing subscription. The yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID when you confirm the purchase (after the trial, if you start one). Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and you can manage or cancel them in your App Store account settings. Know and follow the recording laws where you live. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://tskulbru.dev/apps/mockingjay-privacy Support: https://tskulbru.dev/apps/mockingjay-support

About

Video Compressor

This app helps you reduce the storage space videos take up on your device. It compresses videos by lowering bitrate while preserving quality and safely replaces originals after verification. Avoid deleting precious memories or paying for extra cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Compresses videos by lowering bitrate
  • Preserves video quality (resolution, frame rate, HDR)
  • Safely replaces original videos after integrity check
  • Background compression and Live Activities tracking
  • On-device processing for privacy
  • Reduces cloud storage usage
Features
Read full description

Your videos are eating your storage. Deleting them hurts, and cloud plans add up — LeanVid opens a third way. It compresses videos by lowering only the bitrate while preserving quality (resolution, frame rate, color, HDR, and every track), then safely replaces the originals — but only after each result passes an integrity check. ■ MADE FOR YOU IF • You keep seeing "iPhone Storage Almost Full" • You can't bring yourself to delete family or travel videos • You'd rather not add another monthly fee just for more cloud storage ■ COMPRESSION THAT PROTECTS QUALITY • Lowers only the bitrate — resolution and frame rate stay untouched • Best-effort preservation of HDR (HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision compatible) and color information • Audio, subtitle, and metadata tracks are copied as-is (only audio that MP4 can't hold is converted to AAC) • Compare before and after with side-by-side, top-bottom, or slider playback — see for yourself, then decide • Detailed spec comparison: codec, bitrate, HDR, frame rate, and more ■ VIDEOS OUTSIDE YOUR PHOTO LIBRARY, TOO • Pick videos from the Files app (On My iPhone, iCloud Drive) and compress them • Files your iPhone can't play are handled by the built-in converter — MKV, WebM, AVI, WMV, FLV, TS, MPG and VOB files with VP9, AV1, VP8, MPEG-1/2/4, DivX, Xvid, WMV or Motion JPEG video • Their audio (AAC, MP3, AC-3, Opus, Vorbis, WMA, PCM) is converted along with the video; subtitle tracks and iPhone spatial audio are not carried over • Replace the original file or save the result to your photo library ■ SAFEGUARDS FOR YOUR ORIGINALS • Replacement proceeds only after the result passes integrity verification • Deleting originals goes through the iOS system confirmation, and they stay in Recently Deleted for 30 days • A recovery journal safely rolls back interrupted work if the app quits mid-task • Compression history lets you re-compare or export anytime ■ SAVINGS THAT REPEAT EVERY MONTH • A lighter library lowers your cloud usage too • Once usage drops below a plan tier, downgrading one step saves you money automatically every month • Not a one-time cleanup — savings that show up on every bill ■ NO WAITING AROUND • Compression continues in the background (iOS 26+ devices; earlier versions pause and auto-resume) • Track progress from the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island with Live Activities • Sort by size to start with the videos that free up the most space • Videos stored in iCloud are downloaded and processed automatically ■ PRIVACY • Everything happens on your device — no data about your videos is ever collected or transmitted • No contradiction: an app that cuts your cloud fees never uploads your videos to a cloud of its own • No account required About the permission it asks for LeanVid needs access to your photo library to find compressible videos and to replace originals after verification. Originals are deleted only with your confirmation. Videos from the Files app need no extra permission — only the files you pick are accessed.

Screenshots

Mockingjay4 screens
Video Compressor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Video Compressor at none against Mockingjay's 4. Mockingjay's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mockingjay sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Video Compressor asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mockingjay ships an update every 5 days, Video Compressor weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Mockingjay versus Video Compressor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMockingjayVideo Compressor
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterWeekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size43 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTorstein SkulbruHyungsung Kim

Customer experience

Mockingjay

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Video Compressor

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Mockingjay

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Weekly$7.997 Days
  • Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$39.99
None

Video Compressor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mockingjay free?
Mockingjay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Video Compressor free?
Video Compressor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mockingjay or Video Compressor have ads?
Video Compressor shows ads; Mockingjay does not.
Which is updated more often, Mockingjay or Video Compressor?
Mockingjay ships an update every 5 days, and Video Compressor weekly. Most recently, Mockingjay was updated on October 25, 2026 and Video Compressor on October 21, 2026.

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