Comparison

Bound 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

Bound

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Bound is a private vault designed to hide in plain sight. At first glance, it looks like an ordinary app. Behind it is a secure, encrypted space for your most sensitive photos, videos, and documents, hidden completely from view. Your files are encrypted and protected by your password. What you store in Bound stays private and belongs to you alone. FEATURES β€’ Disguised interface A clean, normal-looking app that doesn’t draw attention. β€’ Encrypted storage Your files are protected with strong, modern encryption. β€’ Private by design No analytics, tracking, ads, accounts, or cloud dependencies. Bound is built to keep your data private and under your control. β€’ Simple access Unlock your vault quickly and get to your files without friction. β€’ Supports real files Store photos, videos, and documents in one place. WHY BOUND Not everything on your phone is meant to be seen. Bound gives you a private place to store sensitive photos, videos, and documents without drawing attention to them. Privacy should be simple.

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

Bound4 screens
GhostCode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: GhostCode at fortnightly against Bound's every 4 months. GhostCode also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). 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. Bound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GhostCode sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bound ships an update every 4 months, GhostCode fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Bound versus GhostCode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoundGhostCode
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsFortnightly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS18.615.1 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size13 MB108 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperRyan BaumbachMoonsail Software LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Bound

One-time1
  • Unlimited Files$2.99
4 purchases

GhostCode

Subscriptions3
  • Ghost Mode Weekly3 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Ghost Mode (Annual)1 Year trial$24.991 Year
  • Ghost Mode Annual$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Create Pack$1.99

Questions

Is Bound free?
Bound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GhostCode free?
GhostCode is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Bound or GhostCode have ads?
Neither Bound nor GhostCode shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bound or GhostCode?
Bound ships an update every 4 months, and GhostCode fortnightly. Most recently, Bound was updated on October 25, 2026 and GhostCode on October 24, 2026.

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