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Vaultaire vs Vaulty
Vaulty uses a PIN gate on top of cloud-backed storage. Vaultaire encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM and keeps the key material on your device.
Quick Comparison
Vaulty currently shows 362 App Store ratings with a 4.6 average and supports iPhone and iPad. Here is how it compares to Vaultaire on the security and privacy questions that actually matter.
| Feature | Vaultaire | Vaulty |
|---|---|---|
| AES-256-GCM encryptionDocumented file-level authenticated encryption | ✓ | ✗ |
| Documented key derivationPublished algorithm and parameters | ✓ | ✗ |
| Metadata encryptionFile names and structure protected separately | ✓ | ✗ |
| Zero-knowledge architectureDeveloper cannot decrypt user content | ✓ | ✗ |
| Separate user-held secretSecurity is not limited to device passcode or app account reset | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud backup with provider accessProvider can help restore your vault because they can access the backing account model | ✗ | ✓ |
| Resettable passcodeHelpful for recovery, but incompatible with strict zero-knowledge protection | ✗ | ✓ |
| Separated vault accessNo visible vault list, but encrypted index files remain enumerable | ✓ | ✗ |
| Duress modeCan remove other vaults' local access state under coercion | ✓ | ✗ |
| Secure sharingShare encrypted access without exposing your personal unlock secret | ✓ | ✗ |
Encryption and Recovery Model
Vaultaire publishes its implemented stack: AES-256-GCM for file content and metadata, PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 for pattern-derived vault and backup keys, CryptoKit for symmetric operations in the app process, and iOS Keychain for encrypted recovery state and the device salt. Vaulty does not publish an equivalent cryptographic architecture on its App Store listing.
The most concrete signal in Vaulty's current App Store page is operational, not academic. The listing highlights cloud backup, and a current developer response says users can access images from any device by logging into their account. Another developer response says forgotten passcodes can be reset from the login screen. Those are convenient recovery features, but they also imply a recovery model that is fundamentally different from zero-knowledge encryption.
If an app can restore vault access through account login or passcode reset, the provider still has a path to recover the effective access state. Vaultaire makes the opposite tradeoff: if you lose both your pattern and recovery phrase, the encrypted data is not recoverable by the developer.
Privacy Label Differences
Vaultaire does not require an account. Its anonymous analytics and crash reports are on by default, and you can turn them off in Settings. Vaulty's current App Store privacy label declares data linked to you for app functionality including contact info, photos or videos, and user ID, plus data not linked to you for purchases, product interaction, crash data, and performance data.
That does not automatically make Vaulty unusable, but it does mean the privacy model is account-centric and service-backed rather than local-first. If your threat model includes provider-side access, subpoenas directed at the service, or minimizing identity linkage, the difference is material.
Pricing Comparison
Vaultaire
- 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos total
- Encrypted iCloud backup
- All encryption features included
- No ads
- Unlimited vaults and files
- Same provider-key boundary for every plan
- 7-day free trial
- Unlimited vaults and files
- One-time purchase
- All Pro features for your Apple family through Family Sharing
- Sold on the App Store product page, not in the app
Vaulty
- Ad-supported
- Cloud-backed account model
- Weekly Premium: $1.99
- Monthly Premium: $4.99
- Monthly Membership / Plan: $9.99
- Yearly Plan: $29.99
- Yearly Membership: $99.99
The Vaulty listing currently exposes several overlapping subscription names and prices. That makes direct tier-to-tier comparison messy, but the practical point is simple: Vaultaire's pricing is straightforward, while Vaulty's paid structure is account- and plan-based.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Vaultaire if you want documented file-level encryption, analytics you can turn off in Settings, no ads, and a privacy model where the developer cannot recover your vault contents.
Choose Vaulty if you specifically want a cloud-backed account model with resettable access flows and you are comfortable with the tradeoff that convenience and provider-side recovery imply.
Bottom Line
Vaulty is a cloud-backed hidden-gallery app with passcode reset and account recovery conveniences. Vaultaire is an encryption-first vault with user-held secrets and documented cryptography. If your bar is "keep casual snoops out," Vaulty may be enough. If your bar is "make the files unreadable without my key," Vaultaire is the stronger design.
Choose the Cryptographic Boundary
Vaultaire keeps the key material on your device and stores every file only in encrypted form, on disk and in backup.
Download Vaultaire
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