sigil. vs Private Photo Vault (Pic Safe)

Short answer: choose Private Photo Vault if you want a long-established vault with an optional encrypted cloud backup and an Android version. Choose sigil. if you want a vault with no account and no server at all, where each sign you draw opens its own hidden vault and a decoy pattern opens a harmless vault.

Both are serious, privacy-oriented apps. The question is mostly whether you want a cloud in the picture.

Security model

Private Photo Vault describes its encryption as AES for local files; extra AES-256 layer for Cloud Vault (vendor-stated). The vault is opened with a PIN or password, and the company documents a decoy option: Decoy password opens an alternate vault.

sigil. uses 256-bit encryption, with a key unlocked by a sign you draw on a dot grid, hardened with Argon2id and bound to the phone's secure chip. There is no stored PIN to compare against: a sign either unlocks the key of the vault it belongs to or opens nothing. That design is what makes multiple hidden vaults possible without a visible list. It is also the basis of plausible deniability, explained in what is plausible deniability encryption.

If you are wondering how a drawn sign compares to a PIN in strength, try the pattern strength meter and read pattern lock vs PIN vs password.

Privacy: account and server

For local use, Private Photo Vault does not require an account: Not for local storage; works offline by default. Its optional cloud service is described this way: Cloud Vault: team cannot decrypt backed-up photos (vendor-stated). That is a strong statement and a sensible design.

sigil. simply has no cloud and no server. There is no backup to protect because none exists, and there is no company-side record of you. The downside is obvious and we say it plainly: lose the phone without a backup, and the vault is gone.

Features

Decoy. Private Photo Vault's decoy password shows an alternate vault. sigil.'s decoy pattern does the same, and the other vaults stay hidden because there is no list of them — useful if someone is standing over you.

Camera. Both apps include one. Private Photo Vault: Take photos directly inside the app. sigil.'s private camera saves directly into the encrypted vault, never into the Camera Roll.

Disguised icon. sigil. can use a neutral utility icon that doesn't say vault (disguised icon). We did not find an icon disguise documented on Private Photo Vault's site.

Metadata. sigil. strips EXIF and location data on import and export. We could not find this documented for Private Photo Vault. You can check any image with the photo metadata viewer.

Price

Private Photo Vault on the US App Store: US App Store IAPs: 'Premium' items from $6.99 to $39.99; 'Upgrade' $39.99. The free version: Basic PIN-protected local vault (with ads); Cloud Vault is premium.

sigil. is free with every feature included (decoy vault, self-destruct, disguised icon): 100 photos and documents plus 10 videos per vault, one vault plus the decoy vault. Pro lifts the photo and video limits and gives you up to 7 vaults, each opened by its own pattern: €39.99 once, lifetime, no subscription, or €19.99 per year. No free trial and no monthly plan. Over the free limit nothing is locked; you just can't add more. See pricing.

Where Private Photo Vault is better

• Cloud backup. Optional premium Cloud Vault, encrypted before upload. sigil. has no cloud backup yet.
• Platforms. Private Photo Vault runs on iOS, iPadOS, Android. sigil. is iPhone-only.
• Track record. It is one of the longest-running and most widely used vault apps on the App Store. sigil. is new and has not had the same years of real-world scrutiny.
• Familiar unlock. A PIN is familiar to everyone. A drawn sign takes a minute to get used to, and you must also keep your recovery phrase safe.

How to switch to sigil.

1. In Private Photo Vault, select the albums or items you want to move and export them to the Photos library (or save them to Files).
2. Install sigil., draw your sign, and write the 12-word recovery phrase on paper.
3. Import the items into your sigil. vault. Location and EXIF metadata are stripped on import.
4. Spot-check that items open correctly.
5. Delete the exported copies from Photos and empty Recently Deleted (guide).
6. If you used the cloud service, delete the cloud copies too once you are certain the move is complete.

Verdict

Private Photo Vault is a credible choice, especially if you want an optional encrypted cloud backup and cross-platform support. sigil. is narrower and stricter: no account, no server, vaults nobody can count, and a decoy vault. If the threat you care about is someone with your unlocked phone, or a service that holds data about you, sigil. fits better. If losing your phone is the bigger worry, the cloud backup in Private Photo Vault is a real advantage.

Read our full Private Photo Vault review or compare with Keepsafe.