Comparison

VaultMesh vs CtrlF Pro

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

Head to head
About

VaultMesh

Features
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Take control of your passwords. VaultMesh keeps them encrypted on your own devices and syncs directly between them — no cloud account, no vendor lock-in. Key Features â€Ē Local-first vault: passwords stay encrypted on your device â€Ē End-to-end encryption: only you can unlock your data, even during sync â€Ē Direct P2P sync over your local network — fast, private, no relay needed â€Ē Optional self-hosted relay for sync across different networks â€Ē Autofill on supported login pages â€Ē Built-in one-time codes (TOTP) â€Ē Strong password generator â€Ē Secure device pairing Why VaultMesh Most password managers store your encrypted data on their servers. VaultMesh flips that around — your vault lives on your devices, and you decide how they sync. Same Wi-Fi? Devices connect peer-to-peer. Across networks? Run your own relay; it only forwards encrypted data and never holds your secrets. Privacy by Design â€Ē No cloud account required â€Ē Master password never leaves your device â€Ē Self-hostable relay — keep complete control of your sync infrastructure â€Ē Works fully offline once paired VaultMesh is built for people who want a cross-device password manager without the trade-offs: no central server seeing your data, no subscription you can't escape, no lock-in. Local-first. End-to-end encrypted. Yours.

About

CtrlF Pro

Features
Read full description

CtrlF brings the power of Ctrl+F to the real world. Point your iPhone at any book, document, or printed material, type the word or phrase you are looking for, and watch matches highlight on screen in real time. No more scanning page after page for that one quote or keyword. CtrlF uses advanced on-device OCR to recognize text and highlight every match instantly - with pixel-perfect precision around the exact characters you searched for. LIVE CAMERA SCANNER Point your camera at any printed text and type to search. Matches appear instantly with bright highlights so you can spot what you need at a glance. Works in real time - no photo required. The camera preview displays in the correct portrait orientation, and highlights follow the text precisely even as you move. PRECISE CHARACTER-LEVEL HIGHLIGHTING Unlike other apps that highlight entire lines, CtrlF pinpoints the exact characters you searched for. Search for "quantum" in a line that says "quantum mechanics" and only "quantum" gets highlighted - not the whole line. Multiple matches on the same line? Each one gets its own precise highlight. FAR-DISTANCE RECOGNITION Enhanced text detection recognizes words even from across the room. No need to hold your phone right up to the page - as long as the text is clearly visible on screen, CtrlF can find it. PHOTO LIBRARY SEARCH Already have a photo of the page? Import images from your photo library and search for text in them. Select any photo and find words instantly with the same precise highlighting. MULTI-WORD PHRASE MATCHING Search for exact phrases, not just single words. Find "quantum mechanics" or "United States" as complete phrases across any page. INSTANT MODE SWITCHING Switch seamlessly between Live Camera and Photo Library. Tap the mode you need and start searching right away - no loading, no waiting. 25+ OCR LANGUAGES Supports text recognition in over 25 languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. 100% ON-DEVICE AND PRIVATE All text recognition happens on your device. No internet required. No data sent to servers. Your privacy is fully protected. FLASHLIGHT SUPPORT Working in a dim library or cafe? Toggle the built-in flashlight to illuminate the page without leaving the app. SEARCH HISTORY Quickly revisit your recent searches. Your search history is stored locally and always just one tap away. FREE TO START - Live camera search: 5 searches per day - Photo library search: 5 searches per day - No sign-up required. Download and start searching immediately PRO UPGRADE - ONE-TIME $4.99 - Unlimited searches - search as many times as you want - Search history - quickly revisit past searches - Screenshot capture - save what you found - Custom highlight colors - personalize your experience - Audio feedback - hear when matches are found - Auto flashlight - automatically illuminates in low light WHO IS IT FOR Students scanning textbooks for key terms and definitions. Researchers locating specific passages in reference books. Readers finding quotes to share or revisit. Professionals searching through printed reports and documents. Anyone who has ever wished they could Ctrl+F in real life. HOW IT WORKS 1. Open CtrlF and choose Live Camera or Photo Library 2. Point your camera at any printed text, or import a photo 3. Type the word or phrase you want to find 4. See every match highlighted precisely on screen in real time 5. Tap to capture, save, or continue searching Download CtrlF today and never lose track of a word again. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: - Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. - This is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. You pay once and own Pro forever. - You can restore your purchase on any device linked to your Apple ID. - For support, visit https://asunnyboy861.github.io/CtrlF/support.html

Screenshots

VaultMesh4 screens
CtrlF Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VaultMesh at none against CtrlF Pro's 1. VaultMesh also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads 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. CtrlF Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. VaultMesh asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VaultMesh ships an update weekly, CtrlF Pro every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
VaultMesh versus CtrlF Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVaultMeshCtrlF Pro
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB3 MB
Age rating4+9+
Developer晓äŋŠ įŽ‹čīš å‘Ļ

In-app purchases

None

VaultMesh

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

CtrlF Pro

One-time1
  • CtrlF Pro$4.99

Questions

Is VaultMesh free?
VaultMesh is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CtrlF Pro free?
CtrlF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do VaultMesh or CtrlF Pro have ads?
Neither VaultMesh nor CtrlF Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VaultMesh or CtrlF Pro?
VaultMesh ships an update weekly, and CtrlF Pro every 6 weeks. Most recently, VaultMesh was updated on September 30, 2026 and CtrlF Pro on October 5, 2026.

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