Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT vs Ephemeral Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT
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【Give your secrets an expiration date.】 Privacy Protection × Auto-Clean A completely offline private vault for securely storing your photos and notes. GUARDLIMIT protects your photos and notes with your device passcode or individual passwords. It is a privacy-focused app that automatically organizes and deletes data that is no longer used. The data you continue to access stays, while data you no longer open is automatically organized and deleted after the expiration period you set. Nothing is stored in the cloud. Everything stays securely on your device. --------------------------------------- ◆ The Design Philosophy of GUARDLIMIT --------------------------------------- [1. Only Active Data Remains] Each time you open a folder or photo, its expiration resets. Only what continues to be used stays. Data that is no longer used quietly disappears. [2. Fully Offline by Design] All data is stored only on your device. Nothing is ever sent to external servers. Your data stays in your hands. [3. The Option of Natural Disappearance] In the event of the unexpected, data you never want seen by others will be automatically deleted after the set period. You decide what stays — and what goes. --------------------------------------- ◆ Do Any of These Sound Familiar? --------------------------------------- ・You don’t want anyone to see the contents of your phone if something happens. ・You feel uneasy lending your device to someone else. ・You’re worried about sensitive data being misused if your phone is lost or stolen. ・You prefer not to rely on cloud storage. GUARDLIMIT addresses these concerns with expiration timers and fully offline security. --------------------------------------- ◆ Key Features of GUARDLIMIT --------------------------------------- [1. Album-Based Expiration] Resets to the set expiry every time you open the album. Data stays alive while it’s being used — and disappears when it’s not. [2. Per-Item Expiration for Photos & Videos] Set expiration dates for each item individually. Resets to the set expiry when viewing photos or videos in full screen. Unneeded data is deleted automatically to save space. [3. Deletion Reminder Notification] If the deletion deadline is approaching, you will receive a notification before deletion, provided notifications are enabled. [4. Photo & Video Sharing] Share photos and videos stored inside the app when needed. [5. Fully Offline Design] No data is ever sent to external servers. Enjoy fast, stable performance with zero network risk. [6. Password Protection] Strong security even without an internet connection. [7. Secret Hint Memo] Store password hints protected by Face ID / device authentication. Keep sensitive clues without storing actual passwords. [8. App Lock] Lock the app using Face ID or your device passcode. [9. No Ads] A completely private, distraction-free environment. ※ Expiration periods can be set from 1 to 100 days. --------------------------------------- ◆ Subscription Plans --------------------------------------- GUARDLIMIT offers FREE PLAN and PREMIUM PLAN. [FREE PLAN] ・Photos: up to 20 ・Videos: not available ・Notes: up to 300 characters [PREMIUM PLAN] ・Photos & videos: unlimited (within device capacity) ・Notes: unlimited characters ・Full access to all features Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Ephemeral Trace
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Photos and videos that delete themselves. Ephemeral Trace is a private camera for media that only needs to exist for a while. Choose a timer before you shoot or import. Each item counts down, then deletes itself when time runs out. No account. No analytics. No tracking. FOR PHOTOS THAT HAD ONE JOB A parking spot. A whiteboard after the meeting. A guest Wi-Fi card. A locker number. A document you are sending once. Capture it. Use it. Let it go. CAPTURE OR IMPORT Shoot in the app, pick specific photos and videos with Apple's system picker, or send them from another app with the Share sheet. Ephemeral Trace cannot browse your photo library. If you pick an item stored only in iCloud, Apple may download that item first. SET THE TIMER FIRST Choose 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, or 24 hours. Every item shows a live countdown and a decay ring. Local notifications can warn you before time runs out. USE WHAT IT SAYS Copy the text in any photo. Point the camera at a QR code, or open a photo that has one, and a button joins the Wi-Fi network, saves the contact, adds the event to Calendar, or opens the link. Show Code puts a ticket's code on screen, flat and bright, for the scanner. When a ticket or coupon shows its end time, the app can offer that moment as the photo's expiry. One tap applies it. FIND WHAT IS STILL HERE Search your notes and folder names, or by date, like “yesterday” or “September”, then filter by type, expiry, folder, or whether an item has a note. With Pro, Text in Photos reads the words in your photos on your iPhone, so you can find a receipt, label, or whiteboard without uploading anything. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No accounts • No analytics or tracking • No advertising identifiers • No crash reporting • No app-operated cloud storage or servers Media stays in the app's private storage, protected by iOS Data Protection. When expiry completes, the file and its encryption key are removed together. Media is excluded from iCloud and iTunes backups, so a capture doesn't outlive its timer inside a backup. There is no trash, Recently Deleted collection, or undo path. A LIBRARY THAT EMPTIES ITSELF See what is still alive at a glance. Extend an expiry, move an item, add a note, share it, save it to Photos, or delete it early. Statistics show how much you have already let go. FOLDERS WITHOUT THE PILE-UP Organize media into folders, choose a default folder, and capture straight into it. The free version includes up to two folders. ONE-TIME PRO Pro unlocks: • Keep Forever • Custom timers up to one year • Unlimited folders • A Face ID or Touch ID gallery lock, plus individually locked folders • Text in Photos: search the words in your photos • Folder rules that file new photos by their text • Redact the numbers, codes, faces, and lines of text it finds, or draw a box over anything else, before you share or save a photo • Straighten a receipt, ticket, or page • A custom accent color One purchase. No subscription. No ads. Free includes unlimited capture, the four standard timers, automatic deletion, expiry warnings, import, notes, search, filters, statistics, text and QR code actions, widgets, the Open Camera control, up to two folders, and export to Photos. Your privacy is not a feature. It is the foundation.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT at 18.6 against Ephemeral Trace's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Ephemeral Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT ships an update every 2 weeks, Ephemeral Trace every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT | Ephemeral Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kohki Fujita | Ephemeral Trace LDA |
In-app purchases
Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT
- Monthly Plan -PREMIUM PLAN-$1.991 Month
- Annual plan -PREMIUM PLAN-$9.991 Year
- Lifetime -PREMIUM PLAN-$4.99
Ephemeral Trace
- Ephemeral Trace Pro$9.99
Questions
Is Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT free?
Is Ephemeral Trace free?
Do Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT or Ephemeral Trace have ads?
Which is updated more often, Smart Private Vault GUARDLIMIT or Ephemeral Trace?
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