A Keepsafe alternative that shows its work
By Bishop Technology Solutions, LLC, the maker of Bishop Vault. Facts checked on October 25, 2026. Every fact about Keepsafe comes from Keepsafe’s own pages or its App Store listing, listed at the bottom.
The short answer
Keepsafe is a large, established app that also runs on Android and can back up to its own cloud. Bishop Vault is smaller and newer: no account, a published encryption design with test vectors, a native Mac app, and a lower yearly price. If you need Android or a cloud backup, stay with Keepsafe. If you want an app that explains exactly how it locks things and what it can’t stop, that is what Bishop Vault is for.
Side by side
Numbers in brackets are sources, listed below. “Not stated” means we looked and the page does not say.
| Keepsafe | Bishop Vault | |
|---|---|---|
| What it protects | Photos and videos. A paid tier adds a private cloud that holds up to 10,000 items [1]. | Photos, videos, notes, scans, a private diary, and any file. |
| Encryption you can check | Described in general terms. Not stated: the method, how keys are made, or a published format [1][2]. | Argon2id and XChaCha20-Poly1305 from libsodium, written up on How it works, with published test vectors. |
| Outside security review | Not stated on its site or listing [1][2]. | None yet, and the site says so. |
| Price | Premium $23.99 a year or $9.99 a month on the US App Store. The listing also shows other purchases, from $4.99 to $35.99 [1]. | Free for up to 25 items in each vault. Plus will be $14.99 a year in the US. There is no monthly plan. |
| Where it works | iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision Pro, and Android. No Mac app is listed [1][2]. | iPhone, iPad, and Mac, including a native Mac app. Coming soon. |
| Backup and cloud | Its listing says your items stay the same across your Keepsafe installs on any platform [1]. | One encrypted backup file that you keep somewhere else. |
| What it can’t stop | Not stated [1][2]. | Spyware already on your device, and someone watching you type your passcode. |
| Track record | 385,000 ratings, averaging 4.7, on the US App Store [1]. | New. No ratings yet. |
Where Bishop Vault is different
- No account, no email. Bishop Vault has no account and asks for no email. The tradeoff is real: with no account, no one can reset your passcode. A printed recovery kit is how you get back in.
- It shows its work. The key layers, the cipher, and the test vectors are written down, so someone who checks things can check them.
- A native Mac app. It has a sidebar, Touch ID, and drag and drop from Finder.
- A lower yearly price, with a free plan that holds up to 25 items in each vault.
- Honest about its limits. It can’t stop spyware already on your device, or someone watching you type your passcode. No outside security review yet.
When Keepsafe is enough
Pick Keepsafe if you use Android as well as iPhone, or want your items kept in a cloud so a lost phone doesn’t cost you the photos. Bishop Vault has no servers holding your things and no Android app, and its backups are files you save yourself. Keepsafe has also been around for years and has a very large number of ratings, which counts for something. If it already does what you need, there is no reason to move.
The honest limits
Bishop Vault protects against everyday snooping. It can’t stop spyware already on your device, or someone watching you type your passcode. No outside security review yet. This page can’t say how well Keepsafe protects your things, only what its own pages state.
Sources and the date they were checked
Facts checked on October 25, 2026. This site loads nothing from other sites, so each address is written out in full.
- Keepsafe on the US App Store (developer KeepSafe Software, Inc):
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keepsafe-photo-vault/id510873505. Prices, platforms, ratings, and the description. Checked October 25, 2026. - Keepsafe’s own home page:
https://www.getkeepsafe.com/. Platforms and how it describes itself. Checked October 25, 2026.
Bishop Vault’s own facts come from its README, its in-app Guide, and its About screen. If you find something out of date, tell us.
Keep reading: all comparisons, how Bishop Vault keeps your things private, or the Apple Photos comparison.
Coming soon to iPhone, iPad, and Mac.