HypaVault vs KeepsafeWho Else Can See Your Photos?
Keepsafe says it “can technically view or share your personal data in limited cases,” while HypaVault encrypts every file on your phone with AES-256-GCM in a vault that opens only with your passcode.
Meets these 10 privacy basics
The Short Answer
Keepsafe is one of the best-known vault apps, but its own help center says it “is not currently designed as a completely zero-knowledge app” and “can technically view or share your personal data in limited cases.” Its documented setup asks for your name and email, its free Basic plan is ad-supported and syncs to Keepsafe’s cloud, and its Decoy Vault hides your photos without erasing anything. HypaVault encrypts every file on the phone with AES-256-GCM, works without an account, carries no advertising and keeps your files on your phone in a vault that opens only with your passcode. If you don’t want a company able to see your photos, HypaVault is the clear choice.
- Keepsafe says it “can technically view or share your personal data in limited cases,” while HypaVault encrypts every file on your phone with AES-256-GCM in a vault that opens only with your passcode.
- Keepsafe’s documented setup needs your name and email and its free plan is ad-supported; HypaVault works without an account and carries no advertising.
- Keepsafe’s Decoy Vault only hides your real photos, while HypaVault’s duress passcode opens an empty vault and erases the rest.
Feature by Feature
The 10 things that decide whether a vault really keeps your files private.
| Feature | HypaVault | Keepsafe |
|---|---|---|
| Files encrypted on the phone | YesAES-256-GCM, with a key for every file | PartlyClaims 256-bit AES; old versions tested weak (2015 to 2022) |
| Works without an account or email | YesA passcode and a recovery phrase, nothing more | NoDocumented setup asks for your name and email |
| Files stay on your phone | YesEncrypted on the phone; it leaves only when you send it | PartlyBasic syncs up to 200 items to Keepsafe’s cloud |
| Ad-free | YesPaid for by Pro, never by advertising | NoKeepsafe Basic is ad-supported |
| Duress passcode that erases data | YesOpens an empty vault and erases the rest | NoNone listed; wrong PINs bring a temporary lockout |
| Decoy or empty vault | YesThe duress passcode opens an empty vault | YesPremium Decoy Vault opens with a different PIN |
| Calculator or clock disguise | YesWorking calculator or alarm clock, with matching icon | PartlyAndroid only: Premium Secret Door calculator |
| Separate hidden vaults | YesUp to three, none aware of the others | PartlyOne Decoy Vault; no other separate vaults listed |
| Encrypted backup you keep | YesOne encrypted .hypa file per vault, checked before it's saved, kept where you choose | PartlyKeepsafe’s cloud, which it says isn’t zero-knowledge |
| Pay-once option | Yes$39.99 once, or $24.99 a year | Not statedLifetime plan offered; price couldn’t be confirmed |
What You'll Pay
Keepsafe's prices as listed in the US stores, checked 27 October 2026.
HypaVault
- Free
- A full encrypted vault, with limits
- Yearly
- $24.99 a year, after a 3-day free trial
- Pay once
- $39.99, with no renewals
Keepsafe
- Basic
- Free with ads; syncs up to 200 items
- Premium
- $9.99 a month or $23.99 a year
- Other purchases
- $4.99, $5.99, $12.99 and $35.99; periods not stated
- Lifetime
- Offered by Keepsafe; price not listed by Apple
Where They Really Differ
Encryption, in Reality
Keepsafe
Keepsafe says files are protected with 256-bit AES and “encrypted at rest,” but its own help center says Keepsafe “is not currently designed as a completely zero-knowledge app” and “can technically view or share your personal data in limited cases,” such as support requests, legal requirements and suspected policy violations. Independent studies of older versions found weaknesses: IOActive (2015) saw album passwords returned in plaintext from Keepsafe’s server, and a 2022 University of Illinois study (WPES ’22) of an older Android version found plaintext information and didn’t credit the app with encryption.
HypaVault
Every file, name, folder, note and thumbnail is encrypted on the phone with AES-256-GCM before it's saved, each file with its own random 256-bit key. A copy of the files is unreadable without your passcode and the phone's own device key.
Account Dependency
Keepsafe
Keepsafe’s documented setup on iOS and Android creates an account with your name and email, verified by email before you set a PIN. Resetting a forgotten PIN, or logging in on a new phone, uses an access code sent to that email, and the free Basic plan syncs up to 200 items to Keepsafe’s cloud.
HypaVault
Setup is a 6-digit passcode and a 12-word recovery phrase. You never give HypaVault an email or a phone number, so there's no login to phish and your vault never depends on a company sign-in.
Ads and Data
Keepsafe
Keepsafe Basic is ad-supported, and Keepsafe’s help center says advertising companies use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads tailored to your interests. Its self-reported App Store label lists advertising data as used to track you, and Google Play’s data safety section lists your name, email, approximate location and installed apps among data collected, with user IDs, device IDs and purchase history shared for analytics.
HypaVault
HypaVault is paid for by people who choose Pro, never by advertising. Its only outside service is RevenueCat, which records purchases and never sees your vaults.
Protection Under Pressure
Keepsafe
Keepsafe Premium includes a Decoy Vault, a second gallery that opens with a different PIN, and Intruder Alerts that photograph anyone who enters a wrong PIN. Neither store listing nor Keepsafe’s list of Premium features includes a passcode that erases data, and its documented response to repeated wrong PINs is a temporary lockout.
HypaVault
A second passcode for when you're forced to unlock. It looks like a normal unlock and opens an empty vault, while every other vault on the phone is erased in one silent step. Your backups bring them back later.
What People Say About Keepsafe
Recurring themes in public App Store and Google Play reviews and discussions, checked 27 October 2026. Follow the links to read them.
Photos Reported Lost After Updates or Restores
The most common complaint: reviewers, paying ones included, say photos vanished after an update, or that backups the app said were complete couldn’t be restored.
Crashes and Freezes
Many recent reviewers, paying users among them, describe the app freezing or crashing on launch or when opening albums.
Stored Photos Behind a Paywall
Reviewers say they had to pay for Premium to reach items above the free limit or to finish downgrading, and some report being charged while the app said Premium had expired.
Backup and Sync That Never Finishes
Reviewers, Lifetime subscribers among them, report backups stuck in progress, or devices that haven’t synced for months.
Login Codes and Support Replies That Don’t Arrive
Because getting in depends on a code sent by email, reviewers report failed logins and codes that never arrive, and say support tickets go unanswered for weeks.
Why HypaVault Is the Better Choice
- Files encrypted on the phoneAES-256-GCM, with a key for every file.
- Works without an account or emailA passcode and a recovery phrase, nothing more. Keepsafe doesn't offer this.
- Files stay on your phoneEncrypted on the phone; it leaves only when you send it.
- Ad-freePaid for by Pro, never by advertising. Keepsafe doesn't offer this.
- Duress passcode that erases dataOpens an empty vault and erases the rest. Keepsafe doesn't offer this.
- Calculator or clock disguiseWorking calculator or alarm clock, with matching icon.
- Separate hidden vaultsUp to three, none aware of the others.
- Encrypted backup you keepOne encrypted .hypa file per vault, checked before it's saved, kept where you choose.
- Pay-once option$39.99 once, or $24.99 a year.
HypaVault vs Keepsafe: Questions
What people ask when choosing between HypaVault and Keepsafe.
For privacy, yes. Keepsafe’s own help center says it “is not currently designed as a completely zero-knowledge app” and “can technically view or share your personal data in limited cases,” its setup asks for your name and email, and its free plan is ad-supported. HypaVault encrypts every file on your phone with AES-256-GCM, works without an account, carries no advertising and has a duress passcode that erases your real vaults.
Keepsafe says files are protected with 256-bit AES and encrypted at rest, but also that it isn’t a zero-knowledge app and can technically view your data in limited cases. Independent studies of older versions found weaknesses, from album passwords returned in plaintext by Keepsafe’s server (IOActive, 2015) to plaintext information in an older Android version (University of Illinois, 2022). HypaVault encrypts every file on the phone with AES-256-GCM, each with its own random 256-bit key.
Read the Help ArticleIts documented setup does. On iOS and Android, Keepsafe creates an account with your name and email, verified by email, and resetting a PIN or logging in on a new phone uses an access code sent to that address. HypaVault never asks for an email: setup is a 6-digit passcode and a 12-word recovery phrase.
Read the Help ArticleYes, in the free version. Keepsafe says Keepsafe Basic is ad-supported, Google Play lists “Contains ads,” and its help center says advertising companies use cookies and similar technologies to tailor ads to you. HypaVault carries no advertising, and nothing in it reports what you do.
Read the Help ArticleNo. Keepsafe Premium has a Decoy Vault, a second gallery opened with a different PIN, but nothing in its store listings or Premium features erases data, and repeated wrong PINs bring a temporary lockout. HypaVault’s duress passcode looks like a normal unlock, opens an empty vault and erases every other vault in one silent step. Your backups bring them back later.
Read the Help ArticleKeepsafe Basic is free with ads. Apple lists Keepsafe Monthly Premium at $9.99 and Yearly Premium at $23.99, plus other Premium purchases from $4.99 to $35.99 without stated periods, and Keepsafe offers a Lifetime plan whose price we couldn’t confirm. HypaVault is $24.99 a year after a 3-day free trial, or $39.99 once, carries no advertising, and reaching a limit never locks away what you’ve stored.
Read the Help ArticleYes. Save your photos and videos from Keepsafe to your photo library or Files, then import them into HypaVault, which encrypts the photos, videos and documents you choose. Some reviewers report needing Premium to reach items above Keepsafe’s free limit, so move them while you can reach them. Once they’re safely in HypaVault, delete the originals, including any copies in Keepsafe’s cloud, if you want them kept only there.
Read the Help ArticleKeepsafe resets a forgotten PIN with an access code sent to your account email, so getting back in runs through that inbox, and reviewers report codes that never arrive. HypaVault gives you a 12-word recovery phrase that resets a forgotten passcode. It’s shown once and never stored, so nobody, including Cyberdunes, can recover it for you; keep it written down somewhere safe.
Read the Help Article
More Comparisons
HypaVault vs Private Photo Vault
HypaVault is ad-free and encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM, while Private Photo Vault’s free version shows ads and tests of older versions found photos stored readable.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs Hide It Pro
HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM and carries no advertising, while Hide It Pro names no encryption method and shows ads on Android.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs Privault
HypaVault documents its AES-256-GCM encryption and carries no advertising, while Privault calls its storage “encrypted” without naming a method and shows ads in its free version.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs SPV
HypaVault encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM, while SPV’s listing promises PIN protection but makes no claim to encrypt your files.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs Secret Photo Album
HypaVault encrypts every file on your phone with AES-256-GCM, while Secret Photo Album promises “encrypted” storage without saying how.
See the Comparison
HypaVault vs PV Secret Photo Album
PV Secret Photo Album is ad-supported and names only “AES,” while HypaVault is ad-free and encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM.
See the ComparisonSwitch from Keepsafe to HypaVault
Start free on iPhone, iPad or Android. Choose a passcode, write down your recovery phrase, and move your private files into a vault that's encrypted on your phone.
HypaVault is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by KeepSafe Software, Inc. (Keepsafe on Google Play). Secret Photo Vault: Keepsafe and its app icon are trademarks of their owner, shown only to identify the app. Details about Keepsafe come from its store listings, website and public reviews, checked 27 October 2026. Prices and features can change; check the store listing for the latest.
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