Valv vs Weave Vault

Valv is a free Android gallery vault for storing photos, GIFs, videos, and text files in encrypted form on a device. Files can be arranged into folders, with notes or text attached, and separate vaults can use different passwords. Access supports a password or PIN; one vault can also be unlocked with fingerprint or face authentication. Valv uses ChaCha20 encryption and derives keys with PBKDF2 and HMAC-SHA512. PBKDF2 uses 50,000 iterations by default, and that count can be changed. Encrypted files remain on local storage, supporting backups and transfers between devices, but cloud backup is not available. The project README says the app requires no permissions, while Google Play declares no data collected and no data shared with third parties. Valv requires Android 9.0 or newer and is listed at free. It is distributed through Google Play, F-Droid, and a GitHub APK, under GPL-3.0-only.

Weave Vault is a mobile encrypted vault for private photos, videos, PDFs, and documents, available on Android and iOS. A pattern drawn on a 5×5 grid derives the key; an unrecognized pattern opens a fresh, empty vault rather than showing an error. The app supports files up to 16 GB and includes sealed folders, duress mode, and a camera that captures directly into the vault. Its security page says AES-256-GCM seals files, thumbnails, metadata, vault manifests, and key-wrapping headers. A 12-word recovery phrase appears once when a vault is created. If both the pattern and phrase are lost, the vault cannot be recovered. Optional encrypted backup requires Pro and stores ciphertext in the user's iCloud or Google Drive; restoring does not require Pro. Sharing sends a point-in-time copy that expires within at most 30 days and can be revoked earlier. The free plan allows up to three vaults and 50 files per vault. Annual, monthly, and lifetime Pro prices are shown in the app at purchase time; the annual plan includes a seven-day free trial for new subscribers.