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Hedgehog Bits vs cloud-based vault apps
Many popular vault apps offer an account and cloud backup. That is genuinely useful. It is also a different model of ownership from an offline vault.
Last reviewed 4 November 2026.
Two ways to build a vault
Cloud-backed vaults keep files on your phone and, optionally, copy them to the developer’s servers. You sign in with an account, and your vault can be restored on a new phone or shared across devices. Some describe their backup as zero-knowledge, meaning the files are encrypted before upload with a key the company does not hold.
Offline vaults like Hedgehog Bits keep files only on the device. There is no account and no server. If you want a copy elsewhere, you export it yourself.
Both can be well built. The difference is about who holds what, and what you depend on.
Side by side
| Compared | Cloud-backed vault | Hedgehog Bits |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Usually needed, at least for backup | None |
| Where copies live | Your phone and the developer’s servers | Your phone, plus any backup file you export |
| New phone | Sign in and restore | Export a file, restore on the new phone |
| If the phone is lost | Restore from the cloud | Restore from your last exported backup, if you have one |
| Depends on the company | For backup, restore and sometimes access | Not after installation |
| Information the service can see | Varies: account details, usage, file sizes, payment data | None. We run no servers for the app |
| Pricing | Often a subscription for cloud features | See the App Store listing |
| Password recovery | Sometimes available | Not available |
When a cloud vault is the better choice
- You want automatic backup and don’t want to think about it.
- You use the vault on more than one device.
- You would rather accept an account than risk losing files with a lost phone.
If you choose one, read its documentation on encryption and its privacy policy. Zero-knowledge backup is a strong design when it is implemented well. Check what is collected alongside your files, such as contact details, usage data and advertising identifiers.
When an offline vault is the better choice
- You don’t want any copy of your files on someone else’s servers, however it is encrypted.
- You don’t want an account linked to your vault, your email or your payment details.
- You want to keep using your files regardless of a company’s future plans, pricing or servers.
- You are comfortable making a backup yourself, from time to time.
What “owning your data” asks of you
An offline vault puts you in control, and with that comes a small amount of responsibility:
- Export a backup after adding things you can’t replace, and keep it somewhere safe.
- Remember your password. There is no reset.
- Keep the backup file private. It is encrypted and opens only with your password, but it does show roughly how large the vault is.
Moving your vault to a new iPhone shows how backups work in practice.