Side by side
Privately vs Weave Vault
Both stand on photo vault apps. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan iPhone
Choose Privately if you want an iPhone vault with on-device encryption, optional Face ID and local text search. It requires iOS 18.0 or later, and recovery depends on keeping your PIN and a backup; the maker cannot restore content from a lost device without one.
Visit Privately
Free plan AndroidiPhoneMac
Weave Vault offers encrypted mobile storage with a range of privacy features and clear recovery constraints. Keep the recovery phrase safe, and note that the maker does not position it against targeted forensic analysis.
Visit Weave VaultThe facts
| Privately | Weave Vault | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | No |
| Runs on | iPhone | Android, iPhone, Mac |
| Lowest paid plan | Pro Yearly: $39.99 a year | See the plans |
| Plans published | 2 | 7 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | getprivately.app | weavevault.app |
| On photo vault apps | #19 of 32 | #23 of 32 |
Privately: what it does well
- Media is encrypted on-device with AES-256-GCM.
- Locked album photos disappear from timeline, search and favorites.
- Smart Search finds photo text in 18 languages on-device.
- No sign-up is required for the Free plan.
- Users can export and restore backups with their PIN.
What to know first
- The app is only for iPhone and requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- Lost devices without backups cannot be recovered by the maker.
- A forgotten PIN can lead to permanent content loss.
- The weekly subscription has no free trial.
Weave Vault: what it does well
- Supports photos, videos, PDFs, and documents
- Maximum file size is 16 GB
- Includes duress mode and sealed folders
- Optional encrypted backup uses the user's cloud storage
- Sharing can be revoked early
What to know first
- Free plan is limited to three vaults
- Free plan allows 50 files per vault
- Losing both unlock methods makes a vault unrecoverable
- Pro prices are shown only at purchase time
Alternatives to Privately Alternatives to Weave Vault The whole list