Kistvault, next to the alternatives
An honest side-by-side with the tools people actually consider — a dedicated vault, a built-in album, and encrypted-cloud options. Every tool here is good at what it sets out to do; we're just clear about where Kistvault is different.
Where Kistvault is different
Five honest edges
Not "better at everything" — specific, defensible differences that match the spec.
iOS and Android
One cross-platform, byte-exact vault — a vault made on Android opens on iOS and back. An iOS-only vault can't help an Android user at all.
Real recovery
A printed Recovery Kit opens the vault on a clean device — recoverability treated as equal to confidentiality, with no hostage data.
Argon2id
Memory-hard key derivation that resists GPU/ASIC cracking far better than iteration-count KDFs like PBKDF2.
Truly local
No backend and no cloud — not even encrypted cloud. Multi-device is direct pairing; backups are a container you export yourself.
Collects ~nothing
No account, no email, no analytics server. With nothing running, there's nothing quietly phoning home by default.
Side by side
The comparison
 Kistvault |
Vaultaire | Apple “Hidden” | Keepsafe | Proton Drive | Cryptomator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS & Android | iOS only | Apple devices | iOS & Android | iOS, Android, web, desktop | iOS, Android, desktop |
| Where files live | On device — no cloud | On device; optional encrypted iCloud backup | In your Photos library (syncs to iCloud) | On device + cloud backup | Proton's encrypted cloud | Storage you provide (your own cloud/disk) |
| Content encryption | AES-256-GCM | AES-256-GCM | Not a separate encrypted vault | AES encryption | End-to-end encrypted (AES) | AES-256 |
| Key derivation | Argon2id (memory-hard) | PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA512 (600k) | — | Not publicly specified | Account key hierarchy | scrypt |
| Unlock | Password or 4×4 pattern | 5×5 pattern | Face ID / passcode | PIN / fingerprint | Account login (+ PIN/biometric) | Vault password (+ biometric) |
| If you forget it | Printed Recovery Kit + device pairing | 9-word recovery phrase | Via Apple ID / device | Account email reset | Account recovery (phrase/methods) | Password only — no built-in recovery |
| Account required | No | No | Apple ID | Yes | Proton account | No |
| Protects | Photos, videos, documents | Photos, videos, files | Photos & videos | Photos & videos | Any files | Any files |
About this table. It reflects public information and each product's general positioning as of November 2026; the Vaultaire column draws on our competitive research dated 2026-11-07. Products change often — verify current details with each provider before deciding. No disparagement is intended: Apple's Hidden album, Keepsafe, Proton Drive and Cryptomator each do their job well, and some (Proton Drive, Cryptomator) are cross-platform and open about their cryptography. Kistvault isn't shipped yet, so there are no ratings or download figures here — by design.
Credit where it's due
Where each one shines
Vaultaire
A polished, no-account iOS vault with a strong "hidden ≠ encrypted" message, duress mode and a secure in-app camera. If you're iOS-only, it's a serious option.
Apple's Hidden album
Zero setup, free, and already on your iPhone. Fine for keeping a few photos out of the main grid — just not an encryption boundary.
Keepsafe
A long-standing, approachable photo vault on both platforms with cloud backup, for people who want their hidden photos synced and simple.
Proton Drive & Cryptomator
If you specifically want encrypted cloud — Proton's end-to-end storage, or Cryptomator's open-source vaults on storage you choose — these are excellent, cross-platform and transparent.
Head to head
Fourteen one-on-one comparisons
The detail for each, fair and factual — from dedicated vaults to password managers, encrypted clouds and built-in phone features.
If you want both halves of the promise
Zero-knowledge privacy and real, offline recovery — on iOS and Android, with no cloud in between. That's the one Kistvault is built for.