Comparison

Phasm vs GhostCode

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

Head to head
About

Phasm

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Hidden in plain sight. Phasm turns ordinary photos into secret messengers. Your photo looks exactly the same β€” but it carries encrypted messages and files that only someone with the right passphrase can reveal. TWO MODES FOR TWO NEEDS β€’ Ghost Mode β€” Maximum stealth. Advanced adaptive algorithms make hidden data virtually undetectable, even by statistical analysis tools. Deep Cover auto-activates for non-JPEG photos with ~43% more capacity. Supports file attachments alongside your message. β€’ Armor Mode β€” Maximum durability. Your hidden message survives recompression, re-encoding, and mild cropping. Fortress sub-mode auto-activates for short messages and handles aggressive compression from popular messaging apps. SERIOUS ENCRYPTION β€’ AES-256-GCM-SIV authenticated encryption β€” always on, not optional. β€’ Argon2id key derivation β€” resistant to brute-force and GPU attacks. β€’ Post-quantum safe β€” 256-bit symmetric keys remain secure against quantum computers. β€’ No backdoors. No key escrow. You hold the only key. PRIVACY BY DESIGN β€’ All processing happens on your device. Nothing is uploaded. β€’ No account. No sign-up. No tracking. No ads. β€’ Open-source Rust cryptographic engine β€” auditable by anyone. β€’ Built for journalists, researchers, activists, curious tinkerers β€” or just for fun. ONE PHOTO. MULTIPLE SECRETS. Shadow Messages let you hide several independent messages in a single photo β€” each locked with its own passphrase. Send the same picture to five friends; each one discovers a different message using their name as the key. Nobody knows the others exist. Under pressure to reveal your passphrase? Hand over the primary one. Your shadow messages stay invisible β€” no header, no marker, no proof they were ever there. MAGIC WAND β€” ONE TAP TO OPTIMIZE Tap the wand and your photo is silently tuned for better steganographic embedding. Imperceptible texture is added to smooth regions like skies, bokeh, and flat backgrounds β€” boosting capacity by 10–35% with no visible change. The photo looks identical. The math works better. SHARE YOUR WAY β€’ Share via AirDrop, Messages, email, or any app that handles images. β€’ phasm.link β€” generate a short link so recipients can decode instantly in the browser or via App Clip. No install needed. β€’ For guaranteed delivery through messaging apps, use "send as file." BUILT FOR iPHONE AND iPAD β€’ Native app optimized for iPhone and iPad. β€’ Supports JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, and HEIC β€” auto-converted for embedding. β€’ Real-time decode progress with integrity scoring. β€’ 38 languages supported. HONEST ABOUT LIMITATIONS β€’ Platforms that resize or re-encode photos may destroy hidden data. Use direct sharing or "send as file." β€’ Capacity depends on image resolution β€” larger photos carry more data. β€’ Steganography hides the existence of a message. Encryption protects its content. Phasm gives you both.

About

GhostCode

Features
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Send a photo everyone can see. Hide a message only your person can read. GhostCode hides a real, encrypted message inside an ordinary photo. Write up to 4,000 characters, pick any picture, and set a Key. You get back a photo that looks completely normal. Text it, post it, share it anywhere. Only someone with GhostCode and your Key can open what is inside. One image. Two audiences. You decide who gets the real meaning. WHAT PEOPLE USE IT FOR β€’ A love note hidden inside the photo you send every morning β€’ A scavenger hunt clue only the birthday person can unlock β€’ A members-only drop for your fans behind one ordinary picture β€’ The wifi password for your houseguests, inside the welcome photo β€’ A whole letter, not a one-liner: up to 4,000 characters per photo HOW IT WORKS 1. Write your message and pick a photo (or a QR code) 2. Set a Key, a passphrase only you and your people know 3. Share the photo anywhere, like any other photo 4. They open it in GhostCode, enter the Key, and unlock the real message MORE THAN PHOTOS β€’ Pixel Ghosting: on-device AI bonds your encrypted message to the picture, and the photo looks identical to the naked eye β€’ QR mode: pack your message into a QR code that scans on any phone β€’ Decoy Link (QR): one code, two destinations. Everyone gets a public page, people with the Key get the real one β€’ Failsafe: a decoy Key reveals an alternate message β€’ Self-destruct: a reveal stops working after the window you choose PRIVATE BY DESIGN β€’ No account, no sign-up, no login β€’ Your readable message and your Key never leave your device β€’ Strong, standard encryption (AES-256-GCM with passphrase hardening) β€’ Sensitive screens are protected, and data deletion is honored in-app GHOST MODE (optional upgrade) GhostCode is free to use, with some limits. Ghost Mode unlocks unlimited protected creates, unlimited saved Keys, Decoy Link, extended self-destruct timers, and Failsafe filters. Ghost Mode is a subscription billed weekly or yearly (with a free trial on the weekly plan). It renews automatically unless cancelled, and you can manage or cancel anytime from your store account. Full terms are shown on the purchase screen. A NOTE ON HOW IT STAYS SECURE Revealing a protected message needs a one-time check with GhostCode's verification service, which stops brute-force guessing and lets messages self-destruct or be revoked. GhostCode never sees your Key or your readable message. For photo (Pixel Ghosting) messages, your encrypted message is stored on GhostCode's servers for the message's lifetime, so it can be revealed and auto-deleted; it stays encrypted and cannot be read without your Key. It is deleted at self-destruct or expiry, or right away when you request data deletion. Questions or feedback? support@moonsailsoftware.com Privacy Policy: https://moonsailsoftware.com/ghostcode/privacy/ Terms: https://moonsailsoftware.com/ghostcode/terms/

Screenshots

GhostCode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phasm at none against GhostCode's 2. GhostCode's advantage is device support and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price 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. GhostCode sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Phasm asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Phasm versus GhostCode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhasmGhostCode
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 11 days
Adsβ€”No
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
Devicesβ€”iPhone, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS17.015.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size21 MB108 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristoph GaffgaMoonsail Software LLC

In-app purchases

None

Phasm

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

GhostCode

Subscriptions2
  • Ghost Mode Weekly3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Ghost Mode Annual$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Phasm free?
Phasm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GhostCode free?
GhostCode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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