# CardValet vs Privacy.com

The clearest difference is monetization model: CardValet at free against Privacy.com's free with in-app purchases. Privacy.com's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (39% vs 19%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for CardValet against 4.5 for Privacy.com. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19K and 7.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 19% of CardValet's written reviews are positive against 39% of Privacy.com's.

CardValet ships an update every 4 months, Privacy.com every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CardValet | Privacy.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardvalet/id849898083/reviews)** | [4.5 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacycom-virtual-cards/id1040298266/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 7.2K |
| Positive reviews | 18.8% of reviews | **39.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 86 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fiserv, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/386678214) | [Pay With Privacy, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1040298265) |

## What reviewers say

### CardValet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardvalet/id849898083)

Take full control of your debit and credit cards with instant on/off toggles, spending limits, and location-based restrictions. Receive real-time alerts for all transactions, monitor purchases, and manage your cards digitally from your smartphone.

**Highlights:** Turn cards on/off instantly, Set spending limits, Restrict usage by location, Control merchant categories, Receive real-time transaction alerts, View purchase history, Activate cards and set PIN

**Features:** Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Real-time transaction alerts
- 🔒 Ability to lock/unlock card
- 💡 Customizable spending limits
- 👍 Convenient card management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent login issues
- 🐛 Unreliable connectivity
- 🐛 Disappearing transaction history
- 👎 Reduced functionality after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to reset password
- Inconsistent account syncing
- Repeated 'too many devices' errors

**Requested features**

- Balance and spending overview
- Fingerprint/biometric login
- Ability to add multiple cards
- Improved notification system


### Privacy.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/privacycom-virtual-cards/id1040298266)

Safeguard your online transactions by creating virtual payment cards. Protect your actual financial details from compromised cards, unexpected charges, and recurring subscription fees. Enjoy enhanced security and control over your spending with customizable limits and real-time monitoring.

**Highlights:** Create virtual payment cards, Merchant-locked cards, One-time-use cards, Customizable spending limits, Real-time transaction monitoring, Pause/unpause/close cards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Apple Wallet, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent protection
- 🔒 Total control
- 👍 Incredible
- 🔒 Essential app
- 👍 Happy user for YEARS

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Great service, HORRIBLE new app
- 🐛 DISAPPOINTED THEY DONT BLOCK THEFT LIKE THEY CLAIM
- 🐛 New UI and other irritations
- 🐛 Card Not Supported
- 🐛 Disabled my account

**Reported bugs**

- Half of the time I cannot open the app after it was closed as FaceID is broken and disables keyboard entry
- Automatically pausing cards set up for annual payments
- Transactions being authorized multiple times on one-time use cards
- App crashing issues
- Compatibility issues with newer debit cards

**Requested features**

- Ability to search transactions by dollar amount
- Option to hide closed cards
- Ability to preload cards for budgeting
- Option to set cards back to no limit
- Landscape mode support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CardValet free?

CardValet is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Privacy.com free?

Privacy.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, CardValet or Privacy.com?

CardValet is rated higher. CardValet averages 4.6 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Privacy.com averages 4.5 from 7.2K ratings.

### Do CardValet or Privacy.com have ads?

Neither CardValet nor Privacy.com shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CardValet or Privacy.com?

CardValet ships an update every 4 months, and Privacy.com every 4 weeks. Most recently, CardValet was updated on October 15, 2026 and Privacy.com on October 20, 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.*