Comparison

Private Vault vs Secure Vault

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

Head to head
About

Private Vault

Securely store photos, videos, notes, and files in a private vault. Includes a private browser for anonymous web surfing and secret bookmarking. Manage passwords and contacts discreetly.

Highlights
  • Store secret photos and videos
  • Write and store private notes
  • Import and view secret files
  • Store private contacts
  • Save all passwords
  • Browse internet privately
  • Make secret website bookmarks
Features
Read full description

A private storage app in which you can store your photos, videos, notes, and more. There is also a private web browser included that does not save any history on your phone and allows you to save secret bookmarks within the app. Some of the features: - Save your secret photos and videos - Write and store private notes - Import and view top-secret files (.doc,.ptp,.xls,etc.) from your computer - Store contacts you don't want in your regular address book - Save all your passwords in one place - Browse the internet without leaving any traces - Make secret website bookmarks --------- PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION --------- Unlock the full version. 1 month subscription: $1.99 1 year subscription: $23.99 - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase Privacy Policy: http://onewave.se/jibdoor/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Secure Vault

Securely store and protect your private photos, videos, documents, passwords, and notes. This app offers a user-friendly interface with powerful encryption and a panic switch for emergency privacy. Browse the web privately and export your files with ease.

Highlights
  • Hide photos, videos, and documents
  • Secure password and notes storage
  • Private web browser
  • Panic switch for emergency privacy
  • Intuitive, native-like interface
  • Export files to ZIP archive
Features
Read full description

Secure Vault keeps your private photos, videos, notes, passwords and contacts behind an app passcode on your iPhone. Since version 1.1, everything you add to the vault is encrypted right on your device. No ads, no tracking, no account. ENCRYPTED ON YOUR DEVICE • Photos, videos and files in the vault are encrypted with AES-256-GCM before they are saved. The key is created on your iPhone and kept in the iOS Keychain. • Files added with an earlier version are encrypted automatically after the update. • Nothing is uploaded: your vault stays on your device. • Notes, passwords and contacts are kept in the app's database under iOS Data Protection. LOCK IT YOUR WAY • App passcode, separate from your device passcode. • Unlock with Face ID or Touch ID. • Repeated wrong passcodes add a waiting time before the next try. HIDE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS • Import photos and videos from your library, then choose whether to delete the originals from Photos. • Take photos and record videos with the camera straight into the vault. • Add photos and videos from the Files app. • Organize them in albums, mark favorites and find recent items. • Export everything to a ZIP file whenever you need it. NOTES, PASSWORDS AND CONTACTS • Keep private notes, website logins and contacts in their own tabs, with search. PREMIUM • Unlimited items. The free version keeps up to 5 photos, videos and files; albums are unlimited. • Private browser: cookies, cache and history are kept in memory only and erased when the app closes. Photos and videos you download go straight into your encrypted vault. • Wi-Fi transfer: move files between a computer and an album over your Wi-Fi network, protected by a one-time 6-digit PIN. It stops when you leave the screen or after 10 minutes without activity. The connection is plain HTTP, so use it only on a Wi-Fi network you trust. • Panic switch: shake your iPhone or turn it face down to jump to Safari, Messages, Maps or Music. • Choose a different home screen icon. GOOD TO KNOW • Your passcode cannot be recovered. If you forget it, the vault cannot be opened, and deleting the app deletes the vault. • To move to a new iPhone, use iCloud Backup or an encrypted computer backup. An unencrypted computer backup does not carry the encryption key. • File and album names are not encrypted. PRIVACY No ads, no tracking, no data sold. The only data the app sends are anonymous crash and performance reports (Firebase Crashlytics) that are not linked to you. SUBSCRIPTIONS AND PURCHASES Premium is available as a weekly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices are shown in the app before you buy. • Payment is charged to your Apple ID account when you confirm the purchase. • A subscription renews automatically at the same price unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for the renewal within 24 hours before the current period ends. • Manage or cancel in Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions. Deleting the app does not cancel a subscription. • Already bought Premium? Open Premium and tap Restore Purchases. Terms of Use: https://nikmesoft.com/apps/calculatorz/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://nikmesoft.com/apps/calculatorz/privacy/

Screenshots

Private Vault4 screens
Secure Vault4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Private Vault at 66% against Secure Vault's 24%. Private Vault also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 216). Secure Vault's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). 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. Private Vault sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Secure Vault sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Secure Vault holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Private Vault has 1.2K ratings behind it against 216, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Private Vault's written reviews are positive against 24% of Secure Vault's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Private Vault ships an update every 4 months, Secure Vault every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Private Vault versus Secure Vault: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrivate VaultSecure Vault
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (1.2K ratings)4.3 (216 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.4% of reviews — better23.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K — better216
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 13 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.7 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB32 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperOne Wave ABNikmesoft Company, Ltd.

Customer experience

Private Vault

All ratings1,227 ratings
Positive74.2%
Neutral3.9%
Negative21.8%
Written reviews1,309 reviews
Positive66.4%
Neutral6.3%
Negative27.3%

Secure Vault

All ratings216 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative12.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive23.5%
Neutral17.6%
Negative58.8%

User reviews

Private Vault

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🔒 Secure storage
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • 🚀 Efficient calculator functionality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with new iOS versions
  • 💰 Paywall for basic features
  • 🔒 Lack of password recovery options
  • 🔍 Difficulty accessing/retrieving stored data

Secure Vault

From 216 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Hides well as calculator
  • 👍 Free app (at the time)
  • 👍 Nice UI
  • 👍 Works well

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App looks stretched and dated
  • 🐛 No way to connect to laptop/online account
  • 🐛 Face unlock shows purchase pop-up
  • 🐛 Not intuitive
  • 🐛 Can only use Google for search

Bugs and requests

Private Vault

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes when uploading more than 5 photos
  • Subscription issues - users charged repeatedly
  • Stored data becomes inaccessible after updates

Requested features

4 requests
  • Update app to support latest iOS versions
  • Provide better customer support and communication
  • Implement password recovery mechanism
  • Allow seamless data migration across devices

Secure Vault

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Contact email for support is invalid
  • Calculator screen disappeared on iPhone 13
  • App prompts for 4-digit code before setting one (version 1.0.0)
  • Picture replacement issue when adding
  • Lost videos
Show 5 more
  • Long press for download does nothing
  • Video cannot play
  • Cannot get past keyboard screen on first launch
  • Calculator screen doesn't calculate
  • App stretched on iPhone 13

Requested features

5 requests
  • Option to alphabetize websites
  • User manual/instructions
  • Ability to download videos from browser
  • Ability to save videos back to phone library
  • Connect to laptop or online account for backup

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Private Vault

Subscriptions6
  • Premium$1.991 Month
  • Premium$2.991 Month
  • Premium1 Month trial$9.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Premium$9.991 Year
  • Premium1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • Premium$19.991 Year
One-time4
  • Utility Pack$0.99
  • Browser Pack$0.99
  • Photo Pack$2.99
Show 1 more
  • Full version$3.99
3 purchases

Secure Vault

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Service - 1 Week$2.997 Days
  • Premium Service - 1 Year$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Private Vault free?
Private Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Secure Vault free?
Secure Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Private Vault or Secure Vault?
Secure Vault is rated higher. Private Vault averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Secure Vault averages 4.3 from 216 ratings.
Do Private Vault or Secure Vault have ads?
Neither Private Vault nor Secure Vault shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Private Vault or Secure Vault?
Private Vault ships an update every 4 months, and Secure Vault every 13 months. Most recently, Private Vault was updated on October 31, 2026 and Secure Vault on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons