# Private Vault vs Secure Folder

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Private Vault at 66% against Secure Folder's 0%. Private Vault also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 15). Secure Folder's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Private Vault sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Secure Folder sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Private Vault holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Private Vault has 1.2K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Private Vault's written reviews are positive against 0% of Secure Folder's.

Private Vault ships an update every 4 months, Secure Folder every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Private Vault | Secure Folder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-vault-store-files/id805602170/reviews)** | [3.3 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-folder-gallery-lock/id6743929296/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **66.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 15 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [One Wave AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/472341468) | [Sandy Radadiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1678294486) |

## What reviewers say

### Private Vault

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/private-vault-store-files/id805602170)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Utility Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Browser Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Photo Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Full version | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Secure Folder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-folder-gallery-lock/id6743929296)

Securely store and protect your private photos, videos, documents, and notes with a PIN, Face ID, or Touch ID. Organize content with advanced folder locking and recover accidentally deleted files. Includes a private browser and optional cloud backup.

**Highlights:** Hide photos, videos, and documents, PIN, Face ID, and Touch ID protection, Advanced folder locking, Private notes vault, Private browser with direct downloads, Recycle bin for file recovery, Secure cloud backup to Google Drive

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $24.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Private Vault free?

Private Vault is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Secure Folder free?

Secure Folder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Private Vault or Secure Folder?

Private Vault is rated higher. Private Vault averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Secure Folder averages 3.3 from 15 ratings.

### Do Private Vault or Secure Folder have ads?

Neither Private Vault nor Secure Folder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Private Vault or Secure Folder?

Private Vault ships an update every 4 months, and Secure Folder every 3 weeks. Most recently, Private Vault was updated on September 23, 2026 and Secure Folder on September 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*