York Vault vs NQ Vault: which photo vault should you use?

Side by side

Which one suits you

Pick NQ Vault if you already use its cloud, want multiple vaults and 1024 GB of cloud space with Premium, and accept an NQ account and ads on the free version. Pick York Vault if you want no account, a free backup of every item to your own cloud, a recovery key you hold, a free wrong-code photo and no ads.

Our full review of NQ Vault on its own: NQ Vault review: is NQ Vault safe, and is it worth paying for?

What protects your files

This is the biggest difference between the two apps.

NQ Vault promises “Space encryption” on its App Store page and names no cipher. Our read of its app package found one good sign. Changing the passcode re-encrypts every file: “Vault needs to re-encrypt all photos and videos”. That suggests a key tied to the passcode. The package also allows plain HTTP and the old TLS 1.0 for one NQ domain. Apple encrypts the app code, so we could not read more than that.

York Vault has no account. Each item gets its own random key and is sealed with AES-256-GCM on your phone, before it is stored or backed up. File names, dates and thumbnails are encrypted too. We run no server that holds your library, and we cannot reset a code or open a file. Read how the encryption works and what we can and cannot see.

Forgotten code

NQ Vault tells two stories. At setup, the app warns: “If it’s forgotten, you need to re-install the app and all data will be erased.” Its Google Play Q&A gives a second answer. With a security email, a “Forgot Password” entrance shows after a wrong password. Without that email, you have no way back in. 17 of the 150 recent reviews we read describe a lockout. One wrote: “Lost password = Lost account” (1★, February 2026).

York Vault shows a 12-word recovery key at setup and asks you to type 3 of the words back. The key opens your library and restores a backup on a new phone. If you want a softer fallback, you can turn on a 72-hour reset through your Apple Account or Google account. During the wait, every device with York Vault shows a banner, and the right code cancels the reset.

Backup and new phones

NQ Vault’s Private Cloud Space is a Premium service, and it needs an NQ account. Premium includes 1024 GB. Our read of the package shows what happens when Premium ends: “Cloud Backup space has been reset to 1GB.” On a new phone you sign in to restore. 21 of the 150 recent reviews we read describe sign-in, network or restore errors. One long-time user wrote: “The cloud shows 0 KB and no backup history.” (1★, September 2026).

York Vault backs up every item for free to your own iCloud, or to your own Google Drive on Android. There is no account to sign in to. The backup is encrypted before upload, so Apple and Google store only encrypted data. A restore check confirms that every file is back on the new phone. See encrypted backup and how to move to a new iPhone.

Decoy codes, break-in photos and disguise

NQ Vault lets you make multiple vaults with different passwords, and “one of them can be a fake vault.” Break-in Alerts take a photo of the person who types a wrong password and log the code they typed. It is a Premium service. The alert also promises the place of the attempt. But the package has no location permission text, so iOS never asks, and that part cannot work. SecureCam, also Premium, disguises the app as a camera. Face Down Lock opens Mail, Messages, Music or Safari. The app has no alternate icons, so the home screen always shows “Vault”. We found no erase code.

York Vault puts these on the free plan:

• A cover code that opens a separate library, and an erase code that also removes the keys to the rest. More hidden libraries need Plus.
• A wrong-code photo and a log of attempts. Location is optional, and the setting says so if permission is missing.
• A working calculator front, 12 or more neutral icons and a face-down exit.

Ads, tracking and price

NQ Vault’s free version shows ads. Our read of the package found ad code from AdMob, Meta Audience Network and AppLovin. The ad slots sit in the photo, video and album lists. One reviewer wrote: “sometimes you have to watch a commercial be for it opens” (1★, August 2026). The privacy label lists Identifiers as data used to track you.

Prices on the US App Store do not line up. The listing text offers 1 month for $2.99, 3 months for $7.99 and 12 months for $19.99. The purchase list also shows VIP plans at $3.99 a month, $9.99 for 3 months and $19.99 a year (checked October 8, 2026). One-off items start at $0.99.

York Vault shows no ads on any plan. It does measure its own ad campaigns, so its label lists identifiers and usage data for that. The measurement code never sees your files, names or codes. York Vault has Free, Plus, Pro and Family plans. Viewing, export, Trash recovery and restore of your own items stay free on every plan. See pricing and what stays free.

What NQ Vault does better

NQ Vault has been on the App Store since July 2012. On Google Play it lists more than 100 million downloads. Premium includes 1024 GB of cloud space. NQ Vault offers multiple vaults, and York Vault needs Plus for more than 1 cover library. It still ships updates: version 4.6.54 arrived in August 2026. Some users stay for years: “Awesome app..been using it for 5 years now” (5★, March 2023).

Switching from NQ Vault

Export from NQ Vault in small batches, album by album, and keep the screen on. The app itself warns: “Please don’t leave this app or lock your phone.” Check each count in Photos. If the cloud will not restore on a new phone, go back to the old phone and export there. The NQ Vault moving guide has every step. The NQ Vault alternative page covers what to look for, and our NQ Vault review covers the rest of the app.

Download York Vault on the App Store or Google Play.