Comparison

Ephemeral Trace vs Camora App

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

Head to head
About

Ephemeral Trace

Features
Read full description

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.

About

Camora App

Securely store photos, videos, documents, and notes in an encrypted vault on your device. Captures directly into the vault, preventing access to your main camera roll. Offers advanced privacy features and local-only syncing.

Highlights
  • Encrypted camera for photos and videos
  • Document scanner with end-to-end encryption
  • Encrypted notes organized by collection
  • Face ID and passcode unlock
  • Local-only Wi-Fi sync between devices
  • Duress mode with decoy vault (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Camora is a private camera and vault for the photos, videos, documents, and notes you don't want stored anywhere but your own devices. THE CAMORA PROMISE We don't have your data. We can't have your data. There are no Camora servers holding your memories. No accounts, no analytics, no third-party SDKs scraping your usage. HOW IT WORKS Camora captures directly into an encrypted vault on your device. Every file is sealed with AES-GCM encryption using keys protected by your passcode and the device-only Keychain. Nothing leaves your device unless you explicitly share it. WHAT YOU GET • Encrypted camera that captures photos and videos straight into the vault, never the camera roll • Document scanner with the same end-to-end encryption • Encrypted notes, organized by collection • Face ID and passcode unlock with configurable lockout backoff • Local-only sync between your iPhone and Mac over Wi-Fi (no cloud relay) • Export to your photo library only when you choose • Vault backup that works without iCloud ABOUT DURESS MODE (PRO) A second passcode that opens an empty decoy vault while leaving your real vault sealed. Designed for situations where you may be compelled to unlock your phone. The decoy vault and the real vault are cryptographically separated: neither can decrypt the other. ABOUT PRO Camora is free for up to 100 items. Pro removes the limit and unlocks duress mode, vault backup, and the macOS companion app. ABOUT YOUR PRIVACY Camora has no servers, no telemetry, and no advertising integrations. The only network calls happen when you explicitly initiate a local sync between your devices. Your purchase receipt is the only thing that touches Apple's servers, and that's between you and Apple. Privacy Policy: https://www.mycamora.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Ephemeral Trace4 screens
Camora App4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Ephemeral Trace at every 11 days against Camora App's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Ephemeral Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Camora App sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ephemeral Trace ships an update every 11 days, Camora App every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Ephemeral Trace versus Camora App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEphemeral TraceCamora App
PriceFreeFree
Rating—1.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEphemeral Trace LDAEpigrams Platforms LTD

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ephemeral Trace

One-time1
  • Ephemeral Trace Pro$9.99
3 purchases

Camora App

Subscriptions2
  • Camora Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Camora Pro (Yearly)$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Camora Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Ephemeral Trace free?
Ephemeral Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Camora App free?
Camora App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Ephemeral Trace or Camora App have ads?
Neither Ephemeral Trace nor Camora App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ephemeral Trace or Camora App?
Ephemeral Trace ships an update every 11 days, and Camora App every 2 months. Most recently, Ephemeral Trace was updated on October 31, 2026 and Camora App on October 31, 2026.

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