Photo Vault App Prices Compared (2026): What 69 Apps Charge
Most photo vault apps are free to download and charge for upgrades. We compared the in-app purchases of 69 photo vault apps on the US App Store on October 30, 2026. The median prices were $4.99 a week, $4.99 a month, $24.99 a year, and $25.99 for lifetime access. Here’s what that means, and how to avoid overpaying.
Disclosure: we make Easy Vault, a photo vault app that isn’t included in this data. Figures come from the apps’ public App Store pages. Part of our photo vault app privacy report; download the dataset.
Typical prices
| Plan | Median | Highest seen | Apps offering it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly | $4.99 | $9.99 | 22% |
| Monthly | $4.99 | $29.99 | 45% |
| Yearly | $24.99 | $79.99 | 48% |
| Lifetime (one-time) | $25.99 | $99.99 | 35% |
All 69 apps were free to download. The median most expensive purchase listed on an app’s page was $29.99, and the highest was $124.99.
What a year actually costs
The same features can cost very different amounts depending on the plan you tap:
| Plan | Cost over one year (at the median) |
|---|---|
| Weekly at $4.99 | about $260 |
| Monthly at $4.99 | about $60 |
| Yearly | $24.99 |
| Lifetime | $25.99, once |
Weekly plans are the most common trap: they look cheap on the paywall but cost about ten times a yearly plan over twelve months.
Lifetime deals are close to one year’s price
At the median, lifetime access cost about the same as one year ($25.99 vs $24.99). If you expect to keep using a vault, a one-time purchase usually pays for itself within the first year. Only 35% of vault apps offered one.
Free versions often come with ads
11 of the 69 apps (16%) sell a purchase to remove ads, which means their free versions show advertising. 10 of those 11 also declared “Data Used to Track You” in their App Store privacy label. Ads in a vault aren’t just annoying: ad networks are a common source of tracking. See do photo vault apps track you?
Extra charges to watch for
- Cloud storage tiers. 9% of apps sell separate cloud plans (for example 20 GB or 100 GB a year) on top of premium.
- Feature packs. Some sell break-in alerts, password reset or extra themes individually.
- Several “Premium” plans. Many apps list several purchases all called “Premium” at different prices; check the period on the payment sheet before you confirm.
How to pay less
- Skip weekly plans unless you’re testing for a few days.
- Prefer lifetime if you’ll use the app for more than a year.
- Check what’s free. Some apps limit how many photos you can add for free; others limit features.
- Cancel unwanted trials in Settings → your name → Subscriptions at least a day before they renew.
- Don’t pay for a vault that only hides photos. Check that it encrypts them first: is a photo vault app safe?
For comparison, Easy Vault, which we make, is free for up to 100 photos and files with encrypted iCloud backup included, and Plus is $1.99 a week, $19.99 a year or $39.99 once.
Methodology
We searched the US App Store for eight vault-related terms on October 30, 2026 and kept the 69 apps that present themselves as photo vaults. Prices come from the in-app purchase list on each app’s page, which shows up to 10 purchases. Plan medians count only purchases whose names state their period (week, month, year, lifetime); purchases named just “Premium” were left out. Full method: privacy report.
Related
- Photo vault apps that don’t collect your data
- Do photo vault apps actually encrypt your photos?
- Calculator vault apps compared
Frequently asked questions
How much does a photo vault app cost?
Most are free to download with paid upgrades. Across 69 photo vault apps on the US App Store in October 2026, the median price was $4.99 a week, $4.99 a month, $24.99 a year and $25.99 for lifetime access, counting purchases whose names state the period.
Is a lifetime or yearly plan better for a photo vault?
If you'll keep using the app for more than a year or so, lifetime usually wins: the median lifetime price ($25.99) was close to the median yearly price ($24.99). Only 35% of vault apps offered a lifetime option.
Are weekly photo vault subscriptions worth it?
Rarely. At the median of $4.99 a week, a year costs about $260, more than ten times the median yearly plan. Weekly plans suit a short test at most; switch to yearly or lifetime if you keep the app.
Do free photo vault apps show ads?
Some do. 16% of the vault apps we checked sell an in-app purchase to remove ads, which means the free version shows them, and 10 of those 11 also declared data used to track you in their privacy label.