VaultCave
Keepsafe is a long-running vault for iPhone and Android with an account, backup and sync on Keepsafe's own service, and ads on the free plan. VaultCave needs no account, backs up encrypted to your own iCloud, shows no ads and collects no data, but it's iPhone and iPad only and launching soon.
Keepsafe is one of the best-known photo vault apps, available on both iPhone and Android, with an account and cloud backup run by Keepsafe itself. If you're searching for a Keepsafe alternative, it's usually for one of a few reasons: you'd rather not have an account, you want your backups somewhere you control, or you'd like to avoid ads. VaultCave is built around exactly those choices, but it also gives up things Keepsafe offers, and for some people Keepsafe is the better fit.
A note before we start: VaultCave's developer wrote this page. Everything about Keepsafe comes from its App Store listing, website and privacy policy, as of November 2026. Security claims from either company are the company's own and haven't been independently verified. VaultCave is launching soon and isn't on the App Store yet.
Who each app suits
Keepsafe may suit you better if:
- You use Android, or both platforms. Keepsafe runs on iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision and Android, and its listing says it syncs your photos and videos to all your Keepsafe installations on any platform. VaultCave is iPhone and iPad only for now.
- You want fingerprint unlock. Keepsafe's listing mentions "fingerprint touch ID". VaultCave has no biometric unlock, by design.
- You worry about losing a recovery phrase. Keepsafe is built around an account with an email address, and its help center describes resetting a forgotten PIN with a code sent to that email. VaultCave can't reset anything: if you lose both your pattern and your phrase, the vault is gone.
- You want an established app. As of November 2026, Keepsafe has a 4.7 rating from about 385,000 ratings on the US App Store. VaultCave is new and has no reviews yet.
- You want per-album PINs. Keepsafe Premium offers Album Lock, with separate PIN codes for particular albums.
VaultCave may suit you better if:
- You don't want an account, an email address or a sign-up.
- You want backups in your own iCloud, encrypted before they leave the phone, rather than on a vault company's service.
- You don't want ads or analytics on any plan.
- You want hidden vaults that aren't listed anywhere, with a duress option (Pro).
- You want originals kept at full quality on the device by default.
Side-by-side comparison
| VaultCave (launching soon) | Keepsafe | |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad, iOS 17+ | iPhone, iPad (iOS 17+), Apple Vision, Android |
| Account | None | Yes, with name and email (per privacy policy) |
| Unlock | Pattern or passcode, per vault | PIN; fingerprint Touch ID mentioned on the listing |
| Face ID / Touch ID | No, by design | Touch ID mentioned; Face ID not stated on the listing |
| Encryption | AES-256-GCM, keys bound to the Secure Enclave | Described as 256-bit AES in help material; how and where keys are held isn't stated in the privacy policy |
| Where backups live | Your own iCloud (CloudKit private database) | Keepsafe's own service |
| Backup encrypted before upload | Yes | Not stated publicly |
| Cross-platform sync | No | Yes |
| Ads | None | Basic is ad supported; Premium is ad-free |
| Analytics | None | Google Analytics named in the privacy policy |
| App Store privacy label | Data Not Collected | Data Used to Track You: Usage Data (see below) |
| Forgotten code | Recovery phrase only; nobody can reset it | Account-based reset (per help center) |
| Hidden vaults, not listed | Yes (multiple vaults are Pro) | Not stated |
| Duress / decoy | Pro: decoy that erases the other vaults | Not covered here |
| Compression | Originals kept by default | Premium Space Saver compresses photos and keeps originals in the cloud |
| App Store rating | Not yet released | 4.7 from about 385K ratings (US, Nov 2026) |
Account or no account
This is the core difference between the two apps.
Keepsafe uses an account. Its privacy policy, updated in February 2026, lists collecting "your name and email address", account data, and the "photos and videos, files, messages and other content" stored in the service. The account is what makes Keepsafe's sync and its PIN reset work. It's also something some people would rather not have for their most private photos: an email address connects the vault to you, and the content sits in a service run by the vault company.
VaultCave has no account at all. There's no sign-up, no email and no VaultCave server holding your files. Each vault opens with its own pattern or passcode, and the unlock screen never shows how many vaults exist. The cost is the one described above: there's nobody to email when you forget your pattern. Your 12-word recovery phrase, generated at setup and verified before the vault is usable, is the only way back. Our guide on storing a recovery phrase covers how to keep it safe.
Where your backups live
Keepsafe Basic includes "Photo backup" and syncs your images and videos across your Keepsafe installations on any platform. Premium adds "Private Cloud", which stores up to 10,000 items. These copies are held by Keepsafe's own service, not in your iCloud. As of November 2026, Keepsafe doesn't say publicly whether these backups are end-to-end encrypted, and its privacy policy doesn't say how photos are encrypted, where they're stored or whether Keepsafe can access them. We're not claiming either way; it simply isn't documented.
VaultCave's backup is optional and goes to the CloudKit private database in your own iCloud. It's offered at setup, switched on by default, and free. Everything is encrypted on the phone before upload, record names are random and sizes are padded, so neither Apple nor VaultCave can read it. Restoring needs the vault's recovery phrase. One honest limit: someone with access to your iCloud account could delete the backup, though not read it. More detail is on our security page.
Ads, analytics and the privacy label
Keepsafe's App Store listing says "Keepsafe Basic is ad supported", and Premium includes "Ad-Free". Its privacy policy says third-party advertising partners may use cookies and pixels in the ad-supported version, and it names Google Analytics.
As of November 2026, Keepsafe's App Store privacy label shows Data Used to Track You: Usage Data, and Data Not Linked to You: Usage Data and Advertising Data (third-party advertising). There's no "Data Linked to You" section.
VaultCave has no ads, analytics or trackers on any plan, and its privacy label is "Data Not Collected". Bear in mind that privacy labels are self-declared by each developer and "not verified by Apple".
Encryption, as each company describes it
Keepsafe's help material describes 256-bit AES encryption for files on the device. Its privacy policy doesn't explain how photos are encrypted or how keys are handled, and we found no independent audit.
VaultCave encrypts with AES-256-GCM, in chunks, each authenticated with its position so tampering, reordering or truncation is detected. Each vault has a random master key and each file has its own key. Keys come from your pattern or passcode (PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256, 600,000 iterations) bound to a device secret in the Secure Enclave, so copied files can't be attacked off the phone. File names, thumbnails and folders are encrypted too. VaultCave hasn't been independently audited either; its security page describes the design and its limits.
Platforms and sync
If you switch between iPhone and Android, or keep photos on both, Keepsafe handles that today and VaultCave doesn't. VaultCave is iPhone and iPad only, with Android planned but not available, and it doesn't sync between devices. Each device has its own vaults, and the iCloud backup is for restoring, not live sync.
Pricing
As of November 2026, Keepsafe's US App Store listing shows subscription lengths of one month and one year, with KeepSafe Plus listed at $3.99, $6.99, $8.99 and $11.99, and KeepSafe Premium at $4.99, $5.99, $23.99 and $35.99. Apple doesn't show which price matches which period.
VaultCave has a free tier (one vault, up to 100 items, encrypted iCloud backup included) and Pro as a weekly or yearly subscription or a lifetime purchase. Pro adds multiple hidden vaults, unlimited items, duress mode, encrypted sharing, erase after 10 failed attempts and disguised icons. Prices will be set on the App Store at launch.
VaultCave's limits
- Not released yet, with no ratings or reviews.
- iPhone and iPad only. No Android, no web, no sync between devices.
- No Face ID or Touch ID, on purpose: biometrics can't choose which hidden vault to open or offer a duress choice.
- No account reset. Lose both your pattern and your phrase and the vault is gone for good.
- Screenshots can't be blocked on iPhone, and someone who watches you unlock can open that vault.
If you mainly want photos out of sight when you hand your phone over, the built-in option may be enough: see Hidden album vs an encrypted vault.
The short version
- Keepsafe uses an account and stores backups on its own service; VaultCave has no account and backs up encrypted to your own iCloud.
- Keepsafe's free plan has ads and its privacy label lists tracking; VaultCave has no ads and is "Data Not Collected".
- Keepsafe is the better pick for Android, cross-platform sync, fingerprint unlock and email-based PIN reset.
- VaultCave suits people who want no account, no data collection and a key only they hold.
- VaultCave is iPhone and iPad only, has no Face ID by design, and is launching soon.
Keep your private photos and documents private
VaultCave encrypts photos, videos and documents on your iPhone with a pattern only you know. No account, no tracking, and your vaults are never listed.
Join the beta on TestFlightFrequently asked questions
Is VaultCave a good Keepsafe alternative?
It is if you want a vault with no account, no ads and no data collection, and backups that stay in your own iCloud. It isn't if you need Android, sync across platforms, fingerprint unlock, or an account that can help you back in when you forget your code.
Does Keepsafe need an account?
Keepsafe's privacy policy lists collecting your name and email address and account data, along with the photos, videos, files and other content you store in the service. VaultCave has no account and no sign-up at all.
Where does Keepsafe store backups?
As of November 2026, Keepsafe's listing describes photo backup and sync across all your Keepsafe installations on any platform, plus a Premium Private Cloud of up to 10,000 items. These backups live on Keepsafe's service, not in your own iCloud.
Does Keepsafe have ads?
Keepsafe's App Store listing says Keepsafe Basic is ad supported, and Premium includes an ad-free experience. Its privacy policy mentions third-party advertising partners in the ad-supported version. VaultCave shows no ads on any plan.
Can I move my photos from Keepsafe to VaultCave?
There's no direct transfer between the apps. You'd export your photos from Keepsafe to a device you trust, import them into VaultCave, check the vault opens and the files are there, and then delete the exported copies and anything left in Keepsafe you no longer want.
Written by VaultCave’s developer, so read it with that in mind. Facts about other apps come from their App Store listings and websites; prices and features change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at support@vaultcave.app.