--- title: Mavaul vs Photo Vault - Vaultaire canonical: https://mavaul.com/compare/vaultaire/ description: Vaultaire and Mavaul both encrypt with AES-256-GCM on the iPhone. Vaultaire adds pattern locks, decoy and duress vaults and iCloud backup. Mavaul is built for looking at your photos: a viewer, a slideshow and Wi-Fi Share to a TV, laptop or any browser on your Wi-Fi. format: text/markdown generator: scripts/generate-llms.js --- # Mavaul vs Vaultaire _By [Diogo Ferreira](/about/), founder & engineer_ Vaultaire and Mavaul are both new in 2026, and both encrypt every photo with AES-256-GCM on the iPhone with no account. Vaultaire leans into security extras: a pattern lock, decoy vaults that open with a different pattern, a duress vault, free encrypted iCloud backup, sync and shared vaults. Mavaul leans into the part you do every day: a viewer that works like Photos, a slideshow that keeps up, Wi-Fi Share to a TV, laptop or any browser on your Wi-Fi, and a calculator decoy that really calculates. ## At a glance | | Mavaul | Vaultaire | | --- | --- | --- | | Built for | Keeping photos private and enjoying them | Security extras: separate, decoy and shared vaults | | Encryption on the phone | AES-256-GCM for every photo and video | AES-256-GCM. Pattern-derived key via PBKDF2 | | Account | None | None required | | Unlock | Face ID, Touch ID or a 4-digit vault passcode | A pattern on a 5×5 grid | | Decoy and disguise | Decoy mode: a working calculator in place of the lock screen. Calculator, cat or hot sauce icons | Decoy vaults that open with a different pattern. Duress vault (Pro) | | Viewing | Tap the edges to flick through, pinch to zoom, timed slideshow with a progress hint | Encrypted gallery, folders in each vault | | 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 | Encrypted iCloud backup, on by default, free. Multi-device sync (Pro) | | Also stores | Photos and videos | Photos, videos, documents. In-app camera | | Ads | None | None | | App Store privacy label | Data not linked to you: analytics and crash data. No tracking | Linked to you: email and user content, for app functionality and support. Not linked: usage and diagnostics. No tracking | | Free version | 20 photos and videos, all the locks, Wi-Fi Share | Up to 3 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos | | Premium | 1,99 € a month, 17,99 € a year, or 49,99 € once | Pro $5.99 a month, $19.99 a year, or $39.99 once. Family plans (US) | | Devices | iPhone | iPhone and iPad | | On the App Store since | 2026 | 2026, about 30 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 Both apps encrypt on the phone with AES-256-GCM, neither has ads, and neither tracks you. Vaultaire's App Store label lists your email and user content as linked to you, for app functionality and customer support; Mavaul's lists nothing linked to you, only anonymous analytics and crash data. For backup, Vaultaire encrypts to your iCloud by default, and Mavaul encrypts to storage you pick: Dropbox, Nextcloud or Files. For recovery, Vaultaire gives each vault a nine-word phrase, and Mavaul gives you a 24-character recovery key. [How Mavaul's encryption works](/features/on-device-encryption/). ## Where Vaultaire wins - Decoy vaults that open with a different pattern, and a duress vault on Pro. - Encrypted iCloud backup on by default, free, plus sync across devices on Pro. - Shared vaults, an in-app camera, documents, and an iPad app. - A bigger free plan (100 photos) and a cheaper lifetime price ($39.99). ## Which one to pick Pick Vaultaire if you want a pattern lock, decoy and duress vaults, or a vault synced and backed up through iCloud. 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 Vaultaire? Yes, if you want a vault built for looking at your photos (viewer, slideshow, Wi-Fi Share to a TV, laptop or any browser on your Wi-Fi), a calculator decoy, a 4-digit passcode rather than a pattern, and backups to your own storage. Stay with Vaultaire if you want decoy and duress vaults, iCloud sync or shared vaults. ### Do both encrypt photos? Yes. Both use AES-256-GCM on the iPhone, with no account. ### Which has a decoy? Both, in different ways. Vaultaire's decoy is a second vault that opens with a different pattern. Mavaul's decoy mode is a working calculator in place of the lock screen. ## Sources Vaultaire facts come from its [US App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/photo-vault-vaultaire/id6758529311) and privacy label, and its [features page](https://vaultaire.app/features/), 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)