Comparison

CypherAir vs Fieldwork Recorder

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

Head to head
About

CypherAir

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CypherAir is a fully offline, open-source OpenPGP encryption tool built for iOS, iPadOS, macOS and VisionOS. It makes zero network connections. There is no telemetry, no tracking, and no possibility of data leakage. Two Encryption Profiles β€’ Universal (Profile A) β€” Interoperable with GnuPG and all major PGP implementations. RFC 4880 compliant, employing Ed25519 and X25519 with SEIPDv1. β€’ Advanced (Profile B) β€” Implements the latest OpenPGP standard, RFC 9580, with Ed448 and X448, authenticated encryption via AEAD (SEIPDv2), and Argon2id passphrase protection. Capabilities β€’ Encrypt and decrypt text and files, processed as streams for efficiency β€’ Create digital signatures β€” cleartext for messages, detached for files β€’ Exchange public keys through QR codes using the system Camera, with no camera permission required β€’ Manage multiple keys, each with its own encryption profile β€’ Safeguard private keys in the Secure Enclave, unlocked only by Face ID or Touch ID Privacy Through Architecture β€’ The sole system permission is the Face ID usage description β€’ Private keys never leave the protection of Secure Enclave wrapping Open Source CypherAir is open source and available under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later) or the Mozilla Public License 2.0 (MPL-2.0). Additional languages are in progress. Disclaimer No Warranty: You expressly acknowledge and agree that use of the Licensed Application is at your sole risk. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Licensed Application and any services performed or provided by the Licensed Application are provided "as is" and "as available," with all faults and without warranty of any kind, and Licensor hereby disclaims all warranties and conditions with respect to the Licensed Application and any services, either express, implied, or statutory, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties and/or conditions of merchantability, of satisfactory quality, of fitness for a particular purpose, of accuracy, of quiet enjoyment, and of noninfringement of third-party rights. No oral or written information or advice given by Licensor or its authorized representative shall create a warranty. Should the Licensed Application or services prove defective, you assume the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, or correction. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties or limitations on applicable statutory rights of a consumer, so the above exclusion and limitations may not apply to you.

About

Fieldwork Recorder

Features
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Record interviews and field observations. Preserve the context that makes them useful. Fieldwork Recorder is a private, local-first recorder and journal for research, interviews, and field observations. Keep audio, notes, photos, sketches, tags, time, and place together in one entry. RECORD WITH CONFIDENCE β€’ Choose high, medium, low, or custom audio quality. β€’ Continue recording in the background when your device allows it. β€’ Follow live recording status and clear saving progress during long sessions. CAPTURE THE WHOLE CONTEXT β€’ Add a title, tags, formatted notes, photos, and hand-drawn sketches. β€’ Use the simple formatting toolbar, or write directly in Markdown if you prefer. β€’ Save no location, start and end positions, or a complete GPS track. β€’ Browse entries on a calendar, search by title or notes, and filter by tag. LISTEN, MAP, AND SHAPE THE STORY β€’ Play recordings with a responsive waveform, precise seeking, playback-speed controls, and file-size details. β€’ Follow GPS-tracked recordings on the map as the audio plays. β€’ Trim unwanted audio, remove a selection, extract a clip, or split a recording into separate diary entries. β€’ Keep the original recording or save the edited result as a copy. BACK UP ON YOUR TERMS β€’ Export a single entry or your entire diary as an archive. β€’ Optionally sync with iCloud, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box, or WebDAV. β€’ Use widgets for Quick Record, Open Last Entry, and Today's Recordings. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Fieldwork Recorder stores your diary on your device. No ads. No data selling. We do not collect or analyze your recordings, notes, photos, drawings, or location data. Your diary leaves the device only when you choose to export it or connect a cloud provider. No Fieldwork Recorder account is required.

Screenshots

CypherAir4 screens
Fieldwork Recorder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: CypherAir at every 2 days against Fieldwork Recorder's every 6 days. Fieldwork Recorder's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CypherAir ships an update every 2 days, Fieldwork Recorder every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
CypherAir versus Fieldwork Recorder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCypherAirFieldwork Recorder
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days β€” betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro β€” betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS26.515.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size79 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperεΊ· ι™ˆWerner Hertzog

In-app purchases

None

CypherAir

No in-app purchases

None

Fieldwork Recorder

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CypherAir free?
CypherAir is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Fieldwork Recorder free?
Fieldwork Recorder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CypherAir or Fieldwork Recorder have ads?
Neither CypherAir nor Fieldwork Recorder shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CypherAir or Fieldwork Recorder?
CypherAir ships an update every 2 days, and Fieldwork Recorder every 6 days. Most recently, CypherAir was updated on October 19, 2026 and Fieldwork Recorder on October 23, 2026.

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