Sealed
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Comparison

Sealed and Inner Gallery, side by side

Both encrypt on the phone, need no account and sell a one-time plan. The difference is the key. Each space in the other app takes its key from its PIN, and no PIN recovery exists; its encrypted sync is a paid pack that is off by default. Your vault key is a random 256-bit key. It is not made from your passcode. If you forget your passcode, your recovery key lets you set a new one. Encrypted iCloud backup is free. The other app costs less to own outright, and needs iOS 26.

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On this page

Disclosure. Sealed is made by Loopware LLC. We compared Inner Gallery’s public pages with our own facts and did not run it. It is ahead in places, and we list them.

Two young apps

Inner Gallery is sold by Jungle Labs and was first released on 25 February 2026 (store record). Like Sealed, it has no account and no server. We run no server, so there is nothing of yours for us to see. We read its listing, store page, home page, privacy policy and two blog posts on 13 November 2026. Prices are shown in US dollars and may vary by country.

Side by side

Sealed (facts checked 13 Nov 2026) Inner Gallery (source, read 13 Nov 2026)
Account. Sealed has no account, so there is nothing to sign up for. “Pay once. No account. No subscription. Ever.” Home page.
Cipher. Sealed encrypts every file with AES-256-GCM before it is saved. ChaCha20-Poly1305 for every photo. Listing and privacy policy.
Where the key comes from. Your vault key is a random 256-bit key. It is not made from your passcode. Your vault key is kept in the iPhone Keychain, on this device only, and it can be read only while the phone is unlocked. Each space’s PIN is used to derive its encryption key on the phone. Blog post.
Forgotten PIN. If you forget your passcode, your recovery key lets you set a new one. During setup Sealed gives you a recovery key: a long code of letters and numbers, in groups, that can bring your vault back. “No PIN recovery exists — by design.” Blog post.
Phone backups. Sealed keeps its encrypted files out of your iPhone’s own backups, because the key never leaves this iPhone and a copy in a phone backup would not open on a new phone. App data is left out of iCloud and computer backups of the phone by default. Privacy policy.
Cloud copy. Backup goes to your own iCloud account, not to a server of ours. Files, names, notes and record fields are encrypted on your iPhone before they are uploaded, so iCloud receives only ciphertext. Encrypted iCloud backup is free. Cloud Sync keeps end-to-end encrypted copies in your own iCloud. It is off by default and sold as a $14.99 pack. A new device is set up with your PIN. Privacy policy, store page and listing.
A second space. A decoy vault opens with a second passcode, and it is part of Sealed Pro. Items in the decoy vault are not part of your iCloud backup. The decoy vault. Spaces each have their own lock, and a Panic PIN opens a decoy space. Panic spaces are never synced. Home page and privacy policy.
Files you take away. The open copy keeps a copy of your vault in your iCloud Drive, in a folder named Sealed, that opens without the app on any computer, with your recovery key and the Sealed reader. Any space can be exported as an encrypted or a plain ZIP. Home page.
Free plan. The free plan holds up to 100 photos. On the free plan you can add photos. Videos, documents, notes and records need Sealed Pro. 2 spaces and 50 photos, with no ads. Home page.
Paying once. Sealed Pro Lifetime costs $79.99, paid once, with no subscription and nothing to renew. Pro Bundle at $34.99 or Lifetime at $99.99, or single packs from $9.99. Home page and store page.
Data. Sealed contains no analytics or tracking SDKs, and it collects no data. The privacy policy says the app collects no data at all. The privacy label lists photos, other content and a device ID, not linked to you, for app functionality. Privacy policy and store page.
Devices. Sealed needs iOS 17.0 or later. iPhone and iPad with iOS 26.0 or later, in 8 languages. Store record.
  • A lower one-time price. The Pro Bundle is $34.99 (home page). Sealed Pro Lifetime costs $79.99, paid once, with no subscription and nothing to renew.
  • No subscriptions at all. Everything is a one-time purchase (home page). Sealed Pro Yearly costs $39.99 a year, and new subscribers get a 7-day free trial.
  • Several spaces, each with its own lock. Its store page sells more spaces as a Space Pack (store page). Each stack can have its own lock, and stack locks are part of Sealed Pro.
  • A plain export. A space can leave as an ordinary ZIP of photos (home page). Viewing and exporting your own photos is always free.

A PIN that is the key, or a key behind the PIN

The two designs ask different things of you. In Inner Gallery, each space’s PIN is where its key comes from, and no PIN recovery exists (blog post). The PIN also sets up a new device through sync (listing). So there is one thing to remember and nothing else to keep, but a forgotten PIN means that space is gone.

Sealed keeps the two apart. Your vault key is a random 256-bit key. It is not made from your passcode. Your passcode is a gate in front of the app. It is not part of the key. The cost is a recovery key to keep, because that key, not the passcode, brings a vault back on a new phone.

Where Sealed helps, and where it doesn’t

It helps on iPhones that can’t run iOS 26. Sealed needs iOS 17.0 or later.

It helps if a backup should be on without buying anything. Encrypted iCloud backup is free. The first time you save your recovery key, Sealed also turns on iCloud Backup, which is free. See how backup and restore work.

It helps if a forgotten passcode should not end the vault. On the lock screen, Forgot passcode? asks for your recovery key, and once the key checks out you choose a new passcode.

It doesn’t cost as little to own outright. Sealed Pro Lifetime costs $79.99, paid once, with no subscription and nothing to renew. Our guide to one-time-purchase vaults compares more of them.

It doesn’t give you more than 100 photos for free, or videos. On the free plan you can add photos. Videos, documents, notes and records need Sealed Pro.

It doesn’t keep several separate spaces, each with its own key. You get one vault, a decoy vault and locks on single stacks. A decoy vault opens with a second passcode, and it is part of Sealed Pro. Each stack can have its own lock, and stack locks are part of Sealed Pro.

Sources

What this page says about Sealed was checked against the app on .

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Get Sealed

Sealed is free to download, and Sealed Pro is an optional in-app purchase.

Download Sealed on the App Store

Sealed: Private Photo Vault

Sealed is free to download, and Sealed Pro is an optional in-app purchase.

Download Sealed on the App Store