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Vaultaire vs Privault
Privault disguises itself as a calculator but does not encrypt your files. Vaultaire protects file contents with AES-256-GCM under a random master key instead of relying on disguise alone.
Feature Comparison
Privault by Apptimus Inc has 77K ratings and a 4.6-star average. Here is how it compares to Vaultaire across 17 security and privacy features.
| Feature | Vaultaire | Privault |
|---|---|---|
| AES-256-GCM encryptionFile-level authenticated encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| iOS Keychain protectionDevice-bound items; AES runs in app | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pattern lock (not PIN)Visual pattern derives a vault key that unwraps the file key | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multiple independent vaultsSeparate encrypted containers | ✓ | ✗ |
| Duress vault (local access wipe)Removes local indexes and recovery mappings under coercion | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zero-knowledge architectureNo provider-held content key; analytics controlled in Settings | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encrypted iCloud backupBackup stays encrypted end-to-end | ✓ | ✗ |
| Encrypted vault sharingShare vaults without exposing keys | ✓ | ✗ |
| Recovery phraseCustom nine-word phrase and encrypted key envelope | ✓ | ✗ |
| No biometrics (by design)A pattern cannot be read from your face or finger | ✓ | ✗ |
| Photos, Videos & Files supportAll media types plus documents | ✓ | ✓ |
| Media optimization (HEIC/HEVC)Preserves efficient Apple formats | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free tier availableUsable without payment | ✓ | ✓ |
| No ads in free tierClean experience at every level | ✓ | ✗ |
| Share sheet importImport from any app via iOS share sheet | ✓ | ✓ |
| Camera captureShoot directly into the vault | ✓ | ✓ |
| Local vault use works offlineAnalytics and encrypted backup start by default; both can be turned off | ✓ | ✗ |
Pricing Comparison
Vaultaire
- Up to 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos total
- Encrypted iCloud backup
- Pattern lock
- AES-256 encryption
- Camera & photo import
- Unlimited vaults & files
- Duress vault
- Multi-device sync
- Vault sharing
- All Pro features
- 7-day free trial for new subscribers
- 72% savings vs monthly
- One-time payment
- All Pro features forever
- All Pro features for your Apple family through Family Sharing
- Sold on the App Store product page, not in the app
Privault
- Limited storage
- Ad-supported
- Calculator disguise
- Unlimited storage
- Ad-free
- Same as monthly
- Annual discount
- One-time purchase
- All features
Disguise vs Encryption
Privault's primary security feature is a calculator interface that hides the vault behind a functional calculator UI. You enter a PIN and the app reveals your hidden files. This is security through obscurity -- a well-known anti-pattern in information security. The files themselves sit unencrypted in the app's sandbox.
Vaultaire takes the opposite approach. The app makes no attempt to hide what it is. It protects file contents and metadata with AES-256-GCM under separated vault and master keys. A forensic examiner can identify Vaultaire, enumerate encrypted index files, and observe storage structure, but cannot read the protected contents without the required keys.
The Calculator Facade Limitation
The calculator disguise works against a casual observer who glances at your home screen. It fails against anyone who checks your installed apps in Settings, examines your storage usage, searches your App Store purchase history, or uses any file management tool. The disguise is a thin layer of social engineering that provides zero protection against a determined adversary.
Vaultaire's security model does not depend on disguising the app. Without a valid unlock or recovery path, encrypted media remains inaccessible. Under coercion, a designated pattern opens its assigned vault while removing local indexes and recovery mappings for the others. That action changes local app state, but it does not erase cloud records, peer copies, shared encrypted blobs, or every forensic trace.
Data Persistence Risks
Since Privault stores files in their original format, data loss is a constant risk. iOS updates, storage pressure, or app reinstallation can wipe unencrypted files from the sandbox. There is no recovery mechanism beyond the files themselves -- if they are gone, they are gone.
Vaultaire stores files as authenticated encrypted blobs in a versioned container format. Its custom nine-word recovery phrase derives a recovery key that opens an encrypted key envelope; it is not BIP-39. After a full device reset, restoration also requires the corresponding encrypted CloudKit backup records.
Recovery Options
If you forget your Privault PIN, there is no reliable recovery path. The app does not have a recovery phrase system or any cryptographic key backup. Some users report losing all their files after forgetting their PIN, with no way to retrieve them despite the files being technically unencrypted on disk.
Vaultaire generates a custom nine-word recovery sentence at vault creation. PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 processes the normalized phrase for 800,000 iterations to derive a recovery key. That key opens an AES-GCM envelope containing the existing vault key locally, or the vault and backup keys when restoring available encrypted CloudKit records. The phrase is not BIP-39 and does not encode a 256-bit key.
What Privault Users Complain About
Common complaints from App Store reviews, and how Vaultaire addresses each one.
"My friend found it in two seconds by checking Settings > Storage. The calculator trick only works if nobody looks."
Vaultaire approach: Vaultaire does not rely on disguise. Copied blobs remain encrypted without the required keys, while index filenames, counts, ciphertext sizes, and filesystem metadata can still reveal structure.
"Connected my phone to iTunes and browsed right to my 'hidden' photos. The calculator thing is just a screen lock."
Vaultaire approach: Every file is encrypted with AES-256-GCM as it enters the vault and stored only in encrypted form. Browsing the container via USB, backup extraction, or forensic tools yields only encrypted data.
"Updated to iOS 18 and everything disappeared. No way to get them back."
Vaultaire approach: Files are stored in an encrypted container. After a complete reset, the recovery phrase can open an encrypted CloudKit recovery manifest only when the matching backup records remain available.
"Full-screen video ads every time I open an album. In a privacy app. The irony."
Vaultaire approach: Zero ads at every tier and no advertising SDK. App analytics and crash diagnostics are enabled by default and can be turned off with “Share errors anonymously” in Settings. Optional Apple services and documented product features create the other network traffic.
"Forgot my PIN after not using the app for months. Lost everything. No recovery option."
Vaultaire approach: A custom nine-word phrase derives a recovery key that opens an authenticated encrypted key envelope. It is not BIP-39, and cloud restoration also requires the matching encrypted backup records.
Bottom Line
Privault disguises itself as a calculator app. That hides the app's purpose from someone browsing your home screen, but it does not encrypt the stored files. A forensic tool or file-system browser can locate and read them. Vaultaire does not rely on disguise. It protects file content with AES-256-GCM under a random master key, which the pattern-derived vault key unwraps.
Read the full Privault review →
Encryption, Not Disguise.
Vaultaire encrypts file contents under a random master key that is recovered only through an authenticated vault or recovery flow. No calculator disguise is required.
Download Vaultaire
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