FILE C2 / APPVAULT VS VAULTAIRE
Two strict vaults. Real differences if you look at the second decimal place.
Vaultaire and AppVault sit at the same end of the spectrum — pattern-locked, on-device, no-account photo vaults. Most apps in this category are not in our company. The differences between AppVault and Vaultaire are real but require attention to the details, so we wrote them out below.
UPDATED · 2026-05-16 · REVIEWED BY APPVAULT
HEAD TO HEAD
AppVault and Vaultaire, line by line.
| CAPABILITY | APPVAULT | VAULTAIRE |
|---|---|---|
| On-device file encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM |
| Account required | No | No |
| Cloud upload by default | No | No |
| Server-side data | None | None (sharing relays ciphertext only) |
| Key derivation | PBKDF2-SHA256 600k iterations | Pattern-derived (PBKDF2) |
| Pattern lock | ✓ (5×5 grid) | ✓ (5×5 grid) |
| Calculator launcher | ✓ | — |
| Decoy / second vault | ✓ (Decoy Vault) | ✓ (Plausible Deniability) |
| Hidden vault count | Catalog encrypted, count unknowable | Catalog encrypted, count unknowable |
| Duress / panic mode | — (planned for 1.1) | ✓ (Duress Mode) |
| Vault sharing with trusted contacts | — (planned for 1.1) | ✓ |
| Intruder log (camera on failed unlock) | ✓ | — |
| Free tier | 1 vault, 25 files | 5 vaults, 100 files per vault |
| Monthly price | $1.99 | Not published on homepage |
| Lifetime option | $29.99 | — |
| Languages at launch | 33 | ~30 |
WHEN TO PICK WHICH
AppVault and Vaultaire solve different shapes of the same problem.
PICK APPVAULT IF
- You want a calculator launcher AppVault’s Calculator Launcher is a fully functional iOS calculator that can replace the app icon on the home screen. Vaultaire does not ship an alternate-icon disguise mode. For shared family devices and customs scenarios, this is the difference.
- You prefer a one-time payment over a subscription AppVault offers a $29.99 lifetime tier with all future updates. Vaultaire is subscription-only based on its current public pricing.
- You want a generous monthly price AppVault Pro at $1.99 monthly is at or below the typical price of comparable single-purpose privacy utilities on the App Store. Vaultaire does not publish its full pricing on the homepage; we are comparing what we can verify.
- You want an intruder log out of the box AppVault records a front-camera photo, timestamp, and approximate location after three failed pattern attempts. Vaultaire’s comparable feature is currently unlisted.
PICK VAULTAIRE IF
- You need vault sharing with a trusted contact Vaultaire’s Secure Sharing feature lets you grant a chosen contact temporary access to a vault with controlled expiration and view limits. AppVault has the same feature on its 1.1 roadmap but does not ship it in version 1.0.
- You want a duress / panic-pattern destruction mode Vaultaire’s Duress Mode lets a specific pattern trigger vault destruction. AppVault has scoped this for 1.1; we did not want to ship a destruction-trigger before its UX was bulletproof.
- You value a longer publishing track record Vaultaire has been on the App Store longer than AppVault. If install-base age is your trust signal, this is a real point in their favor.
VERDICT
Either app is a defensible choice. The deciding factor is the disguise launcher and the lifetime price.
This is the first comparison on appvau.lt that is genuinely difficult to call. Vaultaire and AppVault sit on the same strict end of the photo-vault spectrum — on-device-only, no account, pattern-driven encryption, plausible-deniability second vaults. The cryptographic floor is the same.
AppVault wins on three concrete points: the Calculator Launcher (a real disguise mode Vaultaire does not currently offer), the lifetime payment tier (Vaultaire is subscription-only), and the explicit intruder log. Vaultaire wins on Secure Sharing and Duress Mode, both of which are on AppVault’s 1.1 roadmap.
If you need vault sharing today, install Vaultaire. If you want a disguised home-screen icon today, install AppVault. If neither feature is urgent, the pricing decides it — AppVault Pro at $1.99 monthly and $29.99 lifetime is the cheaper line.
METHOD & SOURCES
We rebuild this comparison every quarter against current App Store builds.
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AES-256-GCM cipher specification
NIST FIPS 197 + SP 800-38D ↗ -
Apple CryptoKit framework
Apple Developer Documentation ↗ -
Vaultaire feature documentation
vaultaire.app ↗ -
PBKDF2 iteration count recommendations
OWASP Password Storage Cheat Sheet ↗
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