Cryptile vs Secret Photo Album
Cryptile and Secret Photo Album both lock photos and videos behind a code on iPhone and iPad. Secret Photo Album adds a private browser and runs on Mac; Cryptile uses a drawn pattern, needs no account and publishes its encryption core for audit.
Several apps use this name. This page covers Secret Photo Album - SA by BPMobile.
Try Cryptile free: join the beta on TestFlight
How do Cryptile and Secret Photo Album compare?
| Question | Cryptile | Secret Photo Album - SA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Plus: $19.99 a year (7-day free trial), $39.99 once | In-app purchases listed from $1.99 to $51.99, including Secret Album Premium at $9.99, $39.99 and $51.99. Periods not shown in the listing |
| Free tier | Up to 2 vaults, 100 photos and 10 videos in total. Files, notes and folders unlimited | Free download with in-app purchases. Limits not stated |
| Unlock method | A pattern drawn on a grid. Use 8 or more cells | PIN, Touch ID and Face ID |
| Decoy or fake vault | A different pattern opens a different vault. No vault list | A "Decoy PIN to hide real photos and videos" |
| Encryption as published | AES-256-GCM on every file, thumbnail and index. Core published for audit | Cipher not stated |
| Cloud backup | Encrypted iCloud backup. 9-word recovery phrase, no reset | "Secure cloud backup" with "Unlimited storage". Provider not stated |
| Account required | No | Not stated |
| In-app camera | Yes | Yes |
| Notes and files | Photos, videos, files, folders and secure notes | Photos and videos. Notes and files not stated |
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac (M1 or later) and Apple Vision |
| Search inside the vault | Yes, in Plus. Text is read from photos and PDFs on the device | Not stated |
| Sharing | Shared vaults are coming, not available yet | Not stated |
Checked 2026-10-26. Secret Photo Album facts come from its App Store listing. Check it for current terms.
When should I choose Secret Photo Album?
- You want a Mac version today. Cryptile has no Mac app yet.
- You want break-in alerts with photos of the person who tried.
- You want a private browser with an ad blocker inside the same app.
When should I choose Cryptile?
- You want to store files and secure notes, not only photos and videos.
- You want no account, and a backup you restore with a 9-word phrase.
- You want two plain prices: $19.99 a year or $39.99 once.
What are the limits of Cryptile?
These apply to any pattern-based vault, ours included.
- Short patterns are weak. A pattern is weaker than a passphrase. Use 8 or more cells.
- Screenshots win. View-once cannot stop a screenshot.
- No reset. Lose the pattern and the recovery phrase, and the vault is gone.
Read the full security page and the Plus page.