Is there a photo vault app with a one-time payment?

Many people would rather pay once than rent a vault every month. Most vault apps now sell a one-time purchase next to their subscriptions, but the name, the price and what it includes vary a lot. We read the US App Store listings on 2026-10-09. The App Store page shows a list of in-app purchases, and it may not show every one.

One-time purchases on the App Store

App	One-time purchase listed	US price
Calculator Lock	“Calculator Lock Pro (Lifetime)”	$29.99
Privault	“Permanent Pro”	$45.99
Vaultaire	“Vaultaire Pro Family Lifetime”	$99.99
LockMyPix	“LockMyPix Premium Lifetime”	$189.99
Keepsafe	A Lifetime plan, named in its help center	Not shown by name on the listing
York Vault	Plus Lifetime and Pro Lifetime	See pricing

Vaultaire’s listing also says it offers “weekly, annual with a 7-day free trial, and lifetime plans”. Prices on the App Store vary by country, and apps change them, so read the listing in your own store on the day you buy.

What a lifetime plan may leave out

A one-time price covers the app. Cloud storage costs the developer money every month, so lifetime plans often treat it differently.

• Keepsafe says Basic syncs up to 200 items, Premium monthly and yearly plans up to 10,000, and the Lifetime plan up to 100,000.
• Other apps may cap storage on lifetime, or leave cloud backup out. Check the plan screen in the app before you pay.
• Other devices. Check whether lifetime covers an iPad, a Mac or an Android phone, or only the store where you bought it.

Three questions before you pay once

1. Can I export everything for free? A lifetime purchase is only as good as the app’s future. If the app leaves the store, export is what saves your photos. Our guide on a vault app that was removed or will not open shows why.
2. Is the backup included, and where does it go? A backup in your own iCloud or Google Drive costs the developer nothing, so it is easier to keep free for life.
3. Will a subscription keep billing me? If you already subscribe, check that the renewal stops after you buy lifetime. Cancel in Settings, your name, Subscriptions on iPhone, or in Google Play. See cancel a subscription.

How York Vault’s Lifetime works

Plus and Pro each have a monthly plan, a yearly plan with a free trial, and a one-time Lifetime purchase. There is no weekly plan. Plus Lifetime covers the Plus features, with your backup in your own iCloud or Google Drive. Pro Lifetime adds York Cloud with a smaller storage allowance than the Pro subscription, because cloud space is a monthly cost for us. The pricing page lists the prices and limits.

If you subscribe and then buy Lifetime, York Vault opens the store’s subscription screen. It shows one line on how to stop the renewal, and when the old plan ends. Lifetime is never taken away. And on every plan, or no plan, viewing, export and restore of your own items stay free. See never held hostage and what stays free. York Vault shows no ads on any plan, which our guide to vault apps without ads covers. Download York Vault.