Comparison

VaultDrive vs Panel Files

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

Head to head
About

VaultDrive

Securely back up photos, videos, and files directly to a USB drive without needing cloud storage. Create private, offline backups you control, freeing up phone space and protecting your memories.

Highlights
  • Backup photos, videos, and files to USB
  • No cloud upload required
  • Private offline backups
  • Download iCloud originals before backup
  • Review selection before copying
  • Track backup progress
  • Resume interrupted backups
Read full description

Back up your photos, videos and files straight to a USB flash drive, SSD or SD card. No cloud, no account, no subscription: your memories stay on a drive you own. Plug in your drive, choose what to back up and tap Start Backup. VaultDrive copies your originals in full quality, directly from your phone to the drive. WHAT YOU GET • Direct to your drive: no uploads and no waiting for cloud storage • Original quality: files are copied as they are, never compressed • Fresh or Incremental: back up everything, or only what's new since last time • Files already on your drive are skipped automatically • Organized your way: folders by date or by album, with one folder per phone • Back up your whole library, selected albums, or files and folders • Resume anytime: if the drive is unplugged or the backup is interrupted, pick up where you left off • Clear summaries, backup history and reminders when new photos are ready • Photos, videos, Live Photos, screenshots and, if you choose, your Hidden album • Works with iPhone 15 and later over USB-C, and with earlier iPhones through a Lightning to USB adapter • Downloads originals stored only in iCloud first, over Wi-Fi only if you prefer • App Lock with Face ID or Touch ID DRIVE TIPS Format your drive as exFAT: it works with Windows and Mac computers and stores files larger than 4 GB. FREE TO TRY, PRO ONCE VaultDrive is free to try. Upgrade to Pro once for unlimited and incremental backups. It's a one-time purchase, with no subscription, ever. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your photos and files are never uploaded to a cloud or server. No account or sign-up is needed, and backing up to your drive works without an internet connection. Keep your memories safe, on your own drive.

About

Panel Files

Features
Read full description

Panel is a file manager for people who miss having a real one. Browse iCloud Drive, the files on your iPhone, USB and SD drives, and cloud services that support folder access — all in one place, with the tools you would expect on a computer. TWO LAYOUTS, ONE TAP APART Columns lays every level of a folder side by side, so you can see where you are and where you came from. Details gives you a sortable table — name, date, type and size — for when you need to find the biggest file or the oldest one. Switch between them whenever you like; Panel remembers what you were looking at. REAL FILE MANAGEMENT • Copy, move, rename and duplicate • Select many files at once and act on them together • Rename a whole selection in one go, numbered and in order • Create folders wherever you need them • Create ZIP archives, and open ones you have been sent • Search a folder, or an entire location, and jump straight to what you find • Preview anything iOS can open, without leaving the app DELETING IS NOT FINAL Deleted files go to Recently Deleted inside that location, so a mistake costs you nothing. Put them back where they came from, or empty it when you are sure. YOUR FILES STAY YOURS Panel has no account and no server. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is tracked, and nothing leaves your device. It reads only the folders you explicitly choose, and forgets them the moment you remove them. TRY IT FREE FOR A WEEK Panel Files is a paid app. The monthly and yearly plans begin with a 7-day free trial, so you can put your own files through it before deciding. If you would rather not subscribe at all, a one-time Lifetime purchase is available instead. Everything described above is included — there is no separate tier and nothing is held back. If you installed Panel while it was free, it stays free for you. Privacy: https://asgilab.github.io/legal/panel-privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

VaultDrive4 screens
Panel Files3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Panel Files at every 9 days against VaultDrive's monthly. Panel Files also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 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. VaultDrive sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Panel Files 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

VaultDrive ships an update monthly, Panel Files every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
VaultDrive versus Panel Files: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVaultDrivePanel Files
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCoticsySamarth Tripathi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

VaultDrive

One-time3
  • VaultDrive: USB Backup$4.99
  • VaultDrive: USB Backup$9.99
  • VaultDrive: USB Backup$19.99
3 purchases

Panel Files

Subscriptions2
  • Panel Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Panel Pro Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Panel Pro Lifetime$69.99

Questions

Is VaultDrive free?
VaultDrive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Panel Files free?
Panel Files is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do VaultDrive or Panel Files have ads?
Neither VaultDrive nor Panel Files shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VaultDrive or Panel Files?
VaultDrive ships an update monthly, and Panel Files every 9 days. Most recently, VaultDrive was updated on October 21, 2026 and Panel Files on October 8, 2026.

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