--- title: Mavaul vs Secret Photo Vault: Keepsafe canonical: https://mavaul.com/compare/keepsafe/ description: Keepsafe syncs a vault across devices through its own cloud. Mavaul keeps photos on the iPhone, encrypted with AES-256, with no ads or tracking, and is built for looking at them. format: text/markdown generator: scripts/generate-llms.js --- # Mavaul vs Keepsafe _By [Diogo Ferreira](/about/), founder & engineer_ Keepsafe is one of the most used vaults on the App Store, with about 380,000 ratings since 2012. Its pitch is a vault that follows you: a Private Cloud, sync across phone and tablet, trash recovery. Mavaul goes the other way. Photos stay on the iPhone, encrypted with AES-256, with no account, no ads and no tracking, and the effort goes into opening the vault and looking at them. ## At a glance | | Mavaul | Keepsafe | | --- | --- | --- | | Built for | Keeping photos private and enjoying them | A vault synced across devices through its cloud | | Encryption on the phone | AES-256-GCM for every photo and video | "Military-grade encryption", not named | | Account | None | Not stated in the listing | | Unlock | Face ID, Touch ID or a 4-digit vault passcode | PIN, Touch ID, per-album PINs (Premium) | | Decoy and disguise | Decoy mode: a working calculator in place of the lock screen. Calculator, cat or hot sauce icons | Not listed | | Viewing | Tap the edges to flick through, pinch to zoom, timed slideshow with a progress hint | Full-screen viewing and slideshow | | Big screen | Wi-Fi Share: QR code, then the vault opens in a browser on a TV, laptop or any device on the same Wi-Fi, with slideshow | Not listed | | Backup | Encrypted on the phone, to your Dropbox, Nextcloud or Files (Premium). Mavaul hosts nothing | Private Cloud, up to 10,000 items (Premium) | | Also stores | Photos and videos | Photos, videos, ID and card photos. Built-in camera | | Ads | None | Yes on the free plan. Ad-free is a Premium feature | | App Store privacy label | Data not linked to you: analytics and crash data. No tracking | Data used to track you: usage data. Not linked to you: data for third-party advertising | | Free version | 20 photos and videos, all the locks, Wi-Fi Share | Yes, with ads | | Premium | 1,99 € a month, 17,99 € a year, or 49,99 € once | $9.99 a month or $23.99 a year (US) | | Devices | iPhone | iPhone and iPad | | On the App Store since | 2026 | 2012, 4.7 stars from about 384,000 ratings (US) | ## Made to look at your photos, not just hide them A vault is also where you go back to the photos. In Mavaul you tap the edges to flick through, pinch to zoom, or start a slideshow. A thin progress hint shows when the next photo is due, and if you swipe away, the show carries on from there. With Wi-Fi Share you scan a QR code and the vault opens on a TV, laptop or any device with a browser on the same Wi-Fi, with a slideshow and a full-screen viewer. Nothing leaves your Wi-Fi. ## Privacy and encryption Keepsafe's App Store label lists usage data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites, and data used for third-party advertising. Its listing says "military-grade encryption" without naming it, and the free plan shows ads. Mavaul names AES-256-GCM, has no ads, and its label lists no tracking. [How Mavaul's encryption works](/features/on-device-encryption/). ## Where Keepsafe wins - Sync across phone and tablet through Keepsafe's own cloud. - Trash recovery for photos you deleted by mistake (Premium). - Safe Send, for sharing a photo that expires. - An iPad app and more than a decade on the App Store. ## Which one to pick Pick Keepsafe if you want one vault on several devices, synced through a cloud someone else runs. Pick Mavaul if you want your photos encrypted on the phone, no tracking, a calculator decoy, and an app that makes your photos nice to look at again, on the phone or on the TV. ## Questions ### Is Mavaul a good alternative to Keepsafe? Yes, if you want photos kept on the iPhone, encrypted, with no ads, no tracking and no account, and a vault that's nice to look through. Stay with Keepsafe if you need sync across devices. ### Does Keepsafe track you? Its App Store privacy label lists usage data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites. Mavaul's label lists no tracking. ### Does Keepsafe have ads? The free plan does. Ad-free is part of Keepsafe Premium. Mavaul has no ads on any plan. ## Sources Keepsafe facts come from its [US App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/secret-photo-vault-keepsafe/id510873505) and privacy label, checked on October 6, 2026. Privacy labels are filled in by each developer, who is [responsible for keeping them accurate](https://developer.apple.com/app-store/app-privacy-details/). Prices and features change, so check the listing before you buy. Mavaul facts come from [features](/features/), [pricing](/pricing/) and [privacy](/privacy/). App names and icons belong to their owners. Spot something out of date? [hello@mavaul.com](mailto:hello@mavaul.com). ## Try Mavaul [Download Mavaul on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/pt/app/mavaul-photo-video-vault/id6759567727?l=en-GB)