Hidegrid vs Vaulty
An honest look at how Hidegrid and Vaulty differ, so you can pick the right one for you.
The short answer
Vaulty: Hidden Photos Vault for iPhone offers PIN or Face ID unlock, a decoy PIN that opens an empty gallery, disguise icons and cloud backup. Hidegrid offers pattern-based encryption keys, published encryption details and backups to your own iCloud with no account.
Hidegrid and Vaulty side by side
| Feature | Hidegrid | Vaulty |
|---|---|---|
| How you unlock | Pattern on a 5×5 grid | PIN; Face ID |
| Encryption details published | Yes: AES-256-GCM, key from PBKDF2 with 600,000 iterations | Not stated in the listing |
| Account needed | No | Needed for cross-device access |
| Backup and sync | Encrypted backup to your own iCloud; iPhone and iPad sync (Pro, coming in a free update) | Cloud backup |
| Decoy or duress option | Duress pattern that silently erases a vault (Pro) | Decoy PIN that opens an empty gallery |
| Break-in photo alerts | No | Not stated in the listing |
| Disguised app icon | Yes (Pro) | Yes (for example Notes or Passwords style) |
| Private in-app camera | Yes | Not stated in the listing |
| Separate vaults with separate keys | Yes, each with its own pattern | Not stated in the listing |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Pricing model | Free plan; Pro as subscription or one-time purchase | Free with subscriptions, including weekly plans |
We checked Vaulty against its public App Store listing, website or support pages on 28 October 2026. Features and prices change, so check the current listing. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
Sources: apps.apple.com
Where Vaulty is strong
Vaulty has a decoy PIN, disguise icons and cloud backup in one app.
Where Hidegrid is different
Hidegrid documents its encryption, needs no account even for backup, and its Pro duress pattern erases the vault instead of showing an empty one.
Which one should you choose?
- Choose Vaulty if you prefer a decoy gallery to a wipe.
- Choose Hidegrid if you want no account and a published encryption design.
Questions
Is this the Android Vaulty?
No. This page compares the iOS app "Vaulty: Hidden Photos Vault". The Android app called Vaulty is made by a different developer.
Does Hidegrid have disguise icons?
Yes, with Pro.
Does Hidegrid offer weekly plans?
See the pricing page for current Hidegrid plans.
Keep private things private
Download Hidegrid and set up your first vault in under a minute.
Coming soon to the App StoreFree to start. No account needed.