Photo vault apps for iPhone without a subscription
·Written by the developer of Stash
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Our pick for a photo vault app for iPhone without a subscription is Stash: Calculator Photo Vault (we build it, so weigh this accordingly): a one-time lifetime purchase unlocks Premium, and the vault hides behind a working calculator with on-device AES-256 encryption, a decoy PIN and intruder photos (both Premium). You can also go without a subscription in two other ways: use Apple's free Hidden album, or buy another vault app that sells a one-time purchase. On the pages we re-checked on 10 October 2026, Stash, Obscura, Vaultaire and LockMyPix each offer a one-time option next to their subscriptions. Safety Photo+Video lists a Pro upgrade and an iCloud Sync Lifetime item but does not say whether the Pro upgrade is one-time. Keepsafe's listing names monthly and yearly subscriptions; Calculator# lists a yearly subscription and a Premium Features Pack without saying its type.
Disclosure: I build Stash, one of the apps below. Facts about other apps come from each vendor's own website or App Store listing, read on 8 October 2026, re-checked on 10 October 2026 and linked. Prices are US App Store prices as shown on 10 October 2026 and change often; we did not buy or test the other apps.
Competitor details last checked: 2026-10-10, from each vendor's own pages.
Why pay once for a photo vault?
The argument for a one-time purchase is simple: a vault that keeps files on your phone has little ongoing cost per user, so paying every month can feel odd. Vaultaire makes this case on its own one-time-payment guide (vendor site, checked 2026-10-10).
The argument for a subscription: it can pay for cloud storage, continued updates and support. If an app stores your photos on its own servers, a subscription is the honest way to charge for that.
So decide first whether you want the vendor to store a copy in its cloud. If not, a one-time purchase usually fits better.
One-time purchase options at a glance
| App | One-time option | Also sold as | What the one-time covers, per vendor | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stash (our pick) | Yes, a lifetime purchase | Subscription; the annual plan starts with a 7-day free trial | Premium | See the App Store |
| Apple Hidden album | Free, built in | n/a | Hidden album locked with Face ID or Touch ID | Apple (vendor site, checked 2026-10-10) |
| Obscura Photo Vault | Yes, 39.99 USD "with no renewals" | Monthly, yearly | Obscura Pro | obscura-vault.com (vendor site, checked 2026-10-10) |
| Vaultaire | Yes, a lifetime unlock, 39.99 USD | Weekly, monthly, yearly, family | "Unlimited vaults, unlimited files, and every feature the app offers" | vaultaire.app guide (vendor site, checked 2026-10-10) and App Store listing (checked 2026-10-10) |
| LockMyPix | Yes, an in-app purchase named lifetime, 94.99 USD | Several Premium terms | See vendor | App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) |
| Safety Photo+Video | Not stated: an "Upgrade to Pro Version" item (type not stated) and an "iCloud Sync Lifetime" item for sync | iCloud Sync and storage plans | See vendor | App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) |
| Keepsafe | None marked as lifetime | Monthly, yearly | n/a | App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) |
| Private Photo Vault | Not stated | In-app purchases | Cloud Vault is Premium | privatephotovault.com (vendor site, checked 2026-10-08) |
| Calculator# | No item marked as one-time | Yearly | n/a | App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) |
"Not stated" means the pages we read do not say; check the listing before you buy.
Stash: Calculator Photo Vault (our pick)
Our app and our pick for paying once. Stash is free to download with no ads. Premium is a subscription (the annual plan starts with a 7-day free trial) or a one-time lifetime purchase. For current prices in your country, see the App Store.
What the free version does: the calculator disguise, the vault with your PIN, on-device AES-256 encryption with the key in the iOS Keychain, Face ID or Touch ID, and a recovery key. What Premium adds: a guest PIN that opens a separate vault, an opt-in intruder photo after a wrong PIN, and encrypted backup to your own iCloud Drive or Google Drive, started by you. The free version holds a limited number of files.
Stash has no server that receives your vault files, so Premium does not pay for cloud storage on our side; backups go to your own account. iPhone and iPad only.
Obscura Photo Vault
Obscura's website (vendor site, checked 2026-10-08; lifetime price re-checked 2026-10-10) states three prices: 6.99 USD a month, 29.99 USD a year with a 7-day trial, or 39.99 USD bought outright "with no renewals". It is iPhone only and needs iOS 18.2 or later, per its App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-08). It names AES-256-GCM encryption and says there is no server.
Vaultaire
Vaultaire's guide (vendor site, checked 2026-10-08) describes a lifetime unlock with "no further charges", next to weekly, monthly and yearly plans and family plans for Apple Family Sharing. Its free tier holds a limited number of photos and videos. On 10 October 2026 the guide and the App Store listing agreed on 39.99 USD for the lifetime unlock in the US store (44.99 EUR in the German store).
LockMyPix and Safety Photo+Video
LockMyPix's App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) includes an in-app purchase named "LockMyPix Premium Lifetime" at 94.99 USD among several Premium terms. Safety Photo+Video's listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) shows an "Upgrade to Pro Version" purchase and an "iCloud Sync Lifetime" purchase next to monthly and yearly cloud plans; it does not say whether the Pro upgrade is one-time, and the lifetime item is for iCloud Sync. For what each one unlocks, see the vendor.
Keepsafe, Private Photo Vault and Calculator#
- Keepsafe: its App Store listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) says Premium subscriptions run one month or one year; see the App Store for current prices. We saw no item marked as lifetime. A free Basic plan holds 200 photos, per its products page (vendor site, checked 2026-10-10).
- Private Photo Vault: free to download, with Cloud Vault as an optional Premium feature, per privatephotovault.com (vendor site, checked 2026-10-08). Its listing shows several in-app purchases without saying which are one-time.
- Calculator#: its listing (vendor's App Store page, checked 2026-10-10) shows a yearly subscription and a "Premium Features Pack"; no item is marked as one-time.
Before you pay once: a checklist
- What exactly does the one-time purchase unlock? All Premium features, or one feature such as cloud sync?
- Does it cover iPad too? App Store purchases usually follow your Apple Account, but check the listing.
- New iPhone? A one-time in-app purchase is tied to your Apple Account. Check that the app has a way to restore purchases before you pay.
- Family Sharing: only if the listing or the vendor says so.
- Refunds for App Store purchases go through Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.
- Try the free tier first. Most vault apps, Stash included, let you test before you pay.
- Keep your own backup. A one-time purchase does not protect your photos if you forget the PIN and lose the recovery key.
FAQ
Is there a photo vault app for iPhone with no subscription?
Yes. Stash: Calculator Photo Vault sells a one-time lifetime purchase and is our pick (we build it): calculator disguise, on-device AES-256, a decoy PIN and intruder photos (both Premium). Apple's Hidden album is free. Obscura, Vaultaire and LockMyPix also list a one-time option next to their subscriptions, according to their own pages on 10 October 2026.
Does Keepsafe have a lifetime or one-time purchase?
Its App Store listing on 10 October 2026 names monthly and yearly subscriptions and shows no item marked as lifetime.
How much is Stash's lifetime purchase?
Prices differ by country. See the App Store listing for the current price where you live.
Do I lose a one-time purchase when I get a new iPhone?
A one-time in-app purchase belongs to your Apple Account, not to the phone. Sign in with the same account and restore the purchase from the app, if it offers a restore option, or ask the developer's support.
Is a one-time purchase vault less secure than a subscription one?
No. How an app is sold says nothing about how it encrypts. Check the encryption and where the key lives; see photo vault encryption explained.