Keepsafe alternative
Keepsafe is the best-known photo vault and the easiest to sync across devices. Oorvel is the alternative for people who would rather have no account, no cloud and no subscription at all.
Where Keepsafe is better: it syncs to its own cloud, so a lost phone need not mean lost photos, and you can try it free before paying. Oorvel does neither.
| Row | Oorvel | Keepsafe |
|---|---|---|
| Unlock | 6-word passphrase (77.5 bits) | PIN, with Touch ID as an option, per its App Store listing |
| Encryption | XChaCha20-Poly1305 | 256-bit AES, per its help center; how the key is made from the PIN is not published |
| Key derivation | Argon2id, 256 MiB per guess | Not published |
| Cloud | None. No server exists. | Private Cloud sync with Premium |
| Account | None | Its privacy policy describes collecting name, email, username and password when you create an account |
| Analytics and tracking | None. Privacy label: Data Not Collected | App Store label lists Usage Data, including data used to track you |
| Open source | Yes, GPL-3.0 | No |
| Price | $14.99, once | Free with limits; Premium $9.99 a month or $23.99 a year (US App Store) |
| Backup and new phone | Sealed export, phone-to-phone transfer, restore proof | Private Cloud with Premium |
Unlock: how strong is the secret
Most photo vaults open with a short code. Short codes are fast, and on their own they are small secrets. Four digits give 10,000 possibilities, which is why a short code has to be backed by a server or a secure chip that slows guessing down.
Oorvel’s six random words give 77.5 bits, and each guess costs 256 MiB of memory through Argon2id. The secret is strong on its own, because there is no server to lean on.
Encryption: the cipher is named, the key is not
Keepsafe’s help center says files are encrypted with 256-bit AES and opened with your PIN, or with Face ID or a fingerprint if you turn that on. It does not say how the key is made from a PIN, and a forgotten PIN is reset with an access code sent to your account email. That reset is a convenience, and it means your email account is also a way in.
Oorvel names everything on its security page: XChaCha20-Poly1305 for the files, Argon2id at 256 MiB for the key, and the source code to back both.
Cloud and account
Keepsafe’s Private Cloud, included with Premium, keeps your vault in sync across devices. That is a real convenience, and it means your photos live on a server as well as your phone. Its privacy policy describes collecting your name, email, username and password when you create an account.
Oorvel has no server, no account, and no network permission. Your vault exists on your phone and in any sealed export you make.
Tracking
Keepsafe’s App Store privacy label lists Usage Data under “Data Used to Track You.” Oorvel’s label is Data Not Collected.
Price
Keepsafe is free with limits, and Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription. Prices vary by country, so see its App Store listing. Oorvel is a one-time purchase.
What Keepsafe gets right
- It is mature and widely used, with years of updates behind it.
- Private Cloud sync means a lost phone does not have to mean lost photos.
- The interface is fast to learn, which matters for a tool people use under stress.
- Its free tier lets you try it properly before paying anything.
Which one is for you
Choose Keepsafe if you want automatic cloud sync across devices, and you are comfortable with an account and a subscription.
Choose Oorvel if you want no account, no cloud, no tracking, one payment, and code you can read.
Pick neither if
If what you want to keep private is a handful of screenshots, the free Hidden album in iOS, locked with Face ID, may be all you need.
Frequently asked
- Is Keepsafe safe?
- Keepsafe offers a locked vault encrypted with 256-bit AES, per its help center, and, with Premium, cloud sync. A forgotten PIN can be reset with a code sent to your account email, and its privacy label lists usage data used to track you. Whether that is safe enough depends on who you are hiding photos from.
- Does Keepsafe require an account?
- Keepsafe's privacy policy describes collecting your name, email address, username and password when you create an account. Oorvel has no account of any kind.
- Is there a Keepsafe alternative without a subscription?
- Yes. Oorvel is a one-time purchase. Because it has no server, there is no ongoing cost to pass on.