Mavaul vs Private Photo Vault
Private Photo Vault (Pic Safe) is the giant: on the App Store since 2011, a million ratings, a hosted cloud, decoy passwords and break-in photos. Mavaul does less on purpose. It locks your photos with AES-256 on the iPhone, with no account and no tracking, and then spends its effort on the part you use every day: opening the vault and looking at what's inside.
At a glance
| Mavaul | Private Photo Vault | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Keeping photos private and enjoying them | Hiding photos, with many security extras |
| Encryption on the phone | AES-256 for every photo and video | The listing describes encryption for Cloud Vault backups, not for files on the phone |
| Account | None | None to start. Cloud Vault needs its own password |
| Unlock | Face ID or passcode, or a calculator that really calculates | PIN, pattern, per-album passwords, Face Down Lock |
| Viewing | Tap the edges to flick through, timed slideshow with a progress hint | Gallery 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 | Wireless photo transfer |
| Editing | Adjust light and colour, crop (Premium) | Not listed |
| Backup | Encrypted on the phone, to your Dropbox, Nextcloud or Files (Premium). Mavaul hosts nothing | Cloud Vault on their servers, encrypted with a password only you know (Premium) |
| Decoy and break-in | Decoy mode: a working calculator in place of the lock screen. No break-in photos | Decoy password, break-in report with photo and GPS |
| Private browser | No | Yes |
| App Store privacy label | Data not linked to you: analytics and crash data. No tracking | Data used to track you: usage data. Linked to you: identifiers, purchases, photos or videos, advertising data |
| Free version | 20 photos and videos, all the locks, Wi-Fi Share | Yes, without Cloud Vault |
| Premium | 1,99 € a month, 17,99 € a year, or 49,99 € once | $6.99 a month after a 3-day trial (US). Other options from $12.99 to $39.99 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone and iPad |
| On the App Store since | 2026 | 2011, 4.8 stars from about a million ratings (US) |
Every vault locks. Few feel good.
Lock screens, PINs and fake passwords are where most vaults compete. Mavaul's bet is that the lock is the easy part, and the hard part is making an app you're happy to open every day. So it borrows what already works on the iPhone. Drag across the grid to select a dozen photos, like in Photos. Swap the icon for a calculator, a cat or a bottle of hot sauce. Turn on the calculator lock screen, and 2 + 2 really is 4. Type your passcode on the keypad to get in.
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, 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. Tap and hold to pause. 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: thumbnails first, full size right after, a slideshow and a full-screen viewer. Nothing leaves your Wi-Fi.
Privacy, by Apple's labels
Apple makes every developer fill in a privacy label. Private Photo Vault's lists usage data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and websites, and data linked to you for third-party advertising. Mavaul's lists anonymous analytics and crash data that isn't linked to you, and no tracking. Your photos are encrypted on the phone and Mavaul has no server that holds them. Privacy has the long version.
Where Private Photo Vault wins
- A decoy password that opens a different set of photos.
- Break-in reports with a photo and the location of whoever tried to get in.
- A hosted cloud backup, so you don't need your own Dropbox or Nextcloud.
- An iPad app, a private browser, and fifteen years on the App Store.
Which one to pick
Pick Private Photo Vault if you want every security extra, a cloud you don't manage, or an iPad app.
Pick Mavaul if you want a vault that feels like a good iPhone app, encrypts on the phone, never tracks you, and makes your photos nice to look at again, on the phone or on the TV.
Questions
Is Mavaul a good alternative to Private Photo Vault?
Yes, if you want a vault that is pleasant to use every day and you don't need break-in photos or a hosted cloud. AES-256 on the iPhone, no account.
Does Private Photo Vault 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.
Which is cheaper?
Mavaul Premium is 1,99 € a month, 17,99 € a year, or 49,99 € once. Private Photo Vault lists $6.99 a month after a 3-day trial on the US App Store. Both have a free version. Mavaul pricing.
How do I move my photos from Private Photo Vault to Mavaul?
Export them from Private Photo Vault to the Photos app, import them into Mavaul, then delete them from Photos and from Recently Deleted so no copy is left in the library.
Sources
Private Photo Vault facts come from its US App Store listing and privacy label, checked on October 6, 2026. Prices and features change, so check the listing before you buy. Mavaul facts come from pricing, privacy and facts.json. Spot something out of date? hello@mavaul.com.