Backroom vs Encamera

Encamera is open source with iCloud storage and video capture. Backroom is a closed-source vault with pattern unlock, separate vaults and locked notes.

Encamera is an open-source encrypted camera and vault, with no account, optional iCloud storage and video capture. Backroom, coming soon to the App Store, opens with a pattern, gives each pattern its own vault and adds locked notes. If being able to read the code matters to you, Encamera has a clear edge.

Side by side

BackroomEncamera

AvailabilityComing soon to the App Store. iPhone.On the App Store.

What opens itA pattern of at least 6 dots on a 5 by 5 grid.Face ID and PIN.

EncryptionAES-256-GCM on each file, with a random key for each vault."Robust encryption" of all media, from open-source code. Its listing names no cipher.

Where files liveOn your iPhone, and in your device backups in encrypted form if you make them. No cloud sync.On the device or in your personal iCloud, chosen album by album.

AccountNone.None.

Forgotten codeA 12-word recovery phrase for each vault. Lose the pattern and the phrase, and nobody can open that vault.A key phrase of ten words, which can also be backed up to iCloud Keychain.

If someone pressures youA different pattern opens a different vault, and the app shows no list of vaults. No duress mode.None listed.

DisguisePaid plan: alternate icons and a working calculator screen. The name under the icon stays Backroom.None listed.

Ads and dataNo ads and no analytics.No ads, per its listing. Apple label: usage data, not linked to you.

Code and reviewSource code is unpublished. No outside review has been completed.Open source, per its listing and site.

PriceFree: 50 photos and files, 5 videos and 10 notes in each vault. Paid: $1.99 a week, $19.99 a year or $39.99 once.Free app. $1.99 weekly, $3.99 monthly, $19.99 yearly, or $49.99 and $99.99 lifetime options, with other entries listed.

Encamera facts checked October 31, 2026 against its own listing or site, US prices. See Sources below. Apps change, so check before you buy.

Open code is a real advantage

Encamera’s listing says its code is open for anyone to review. For a security product, that is meaningful: claims can be checked. Backroom can’t offer that today. We describe the design and plan an outside review, and it has not been completed.

What else Encamera does that Backroom does not

Encamera offers iCloud storage album by album, a lock screen widget for fast capture, video capture and Live Photos. It unlocks with Face ID. Backroom has no iCloud sync, no widget, no video capture and no biometric unlock.

What Backroom does differently

You open Backroom with a drawn pattern, and each pattern leads to its own vault with its own key. The app shows no list of vaults, so you can keep ordinary photos under one pattern and private ones under another. Vaults can also hold files and encrypted notes. Paid plans add alternate icons and a calculator screen.

Pricing

Both offer a $1.99 weekly plan and a yearly plan close to $20. For a one-time purchase, Backroom is $39.99, and Encamera’s listing shows $49.99 and $99.99 lifetime options. Its $49.99 tier limits new features after a year, according to its listing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Encamera better because it is open source?

On that point, yes. Anyone can read its code and check its claims. Backroom's source is unpublished and it has not had an outside review, so you are relying on the description we give.

Does Backroom record video like Encamera?

No. Backroom's in-app camera takes photos only. You can import videos into a vault. Encamera captures video and Live Photos directly.

Do both use recovery words?

Yes. Encamera has a ten-word key phrase. Backroom has a 12-word recovery phrase for each vault.