CachePix vs DriveVault

Looking for a DriveVault alternative for Windows or your phone? Both apps build a catalog of your external hard drives that you can search while they're unplugged: DriveVault for files of any type, CachePix for photos. According to DriveVault's website, its catalog lives on your Mac. CachePix runs on Mac and Windows and puts a searchable copy on your phone.

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The short version: CachePix as a DriveVault alternative

DriveVault and CachePix both build an offline catalog of your external hard drives, so you can search an external drive offline after you unplug it. They differ in what they catalog and where you can use the catalog.

According to DriveVault's website and Mac App Store listing, as of October 2026 DriveVault is a Mac-only app that catalogs files of any type, video and documents included. CachePix is a photo catalog app for Mac and Windows. It catalogs the photos on your drives, then syncs a searchable catalog to iPhone and Android companion apps, so you can browse your archive with the drives unplugged.

Which fits depends on what's on your drives and where you need them. For mixed video, documents and photos searched at your desk, DriveVault covers more file types. If you want to check a photo archive at a family dinner or in a meeting, that's what the CachePix phone app is for.

Side by side

Each DriveVault cell below comes from drivevault.io or DriveVault's Mac App Store listing. The CachePix cells describe desktop 0.2.1 and the 1.1.0 phone apps.

DriveVault details per drivevault.io and its Mac App Store listing, as of October 2026
FeatureCachePixDriveVault
Desktop appMac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) on macOS 12 or later, and 64-bit Windows (x64)Mac only, macOS 14.0 or later, from the Mac App Store. Its FAQ says there are no current plans for Windows or Linux
Phone appYes: iPhone and iPad on iOS 18 or later, and Android 9 or later, covered by your CachePix planNo iPhone, iPad or Android app
Browse the catalog away from the computerYes: the catalog, thumbnails and cached HD previews stay browsable and searchable on your phonePartly: an exported HTML report of one drive opens in any browser, including on a phone. Each report is a snapshot
Search drives while unpluggedYes, on your computer and your phoneYes, on the Mac
File typesPhotos: JPEG, PNG, WebP and 15 RAW formats. HEIC and TIFF are cataloged and searchable, with no preview yetAny file type. Some cache and bundle types are skipped by default, and you can include them
VideoNo. Video isn't supportedYes: low-resolution offline previews of images and videos, plus basic video metadata
Photo metadata it readsIPTC and XMP: people, keywords, caption, headline, title, city, state, sublocation, creator, event and categories, including XMP sidecars next to RAW files. Capture date from EXIF. No camera, lens or exposure dataEXIF: camera, lens, ISO and date taken, plus basic video and document metadata. IPTC and XMP keywords: not stated on DriveVault's website or App Store listing
RAW filesYes: 15 RAW formats, previewed from the camera's embedded JPEG. A RAW+JPEG pair counts as one photoYes: thumbnails and metadata for RAW formats including RAF, CR3, ORF, RW2 and SRW
Your tags and notesReads the keywords, captions and people saved in your files, including XMP sidecars next to RAW files. Cataloging never modifies, moves, renames or deletes your files. CachePix writes metadata only when you edit it, and only the fields you changed, as standard XMP in the file or in a sidecar next to RAW filesTags, notes and ratings are kept in DriveVault's own catalog
Compare two drivesNoYes: shows which files are missing or different
Search text inside PDFsNo. CachePix catalogs photosYes, in beta (Context Scan)
Share and exportExport HD previews with metadata embedded, even with the drive unplugged. Share HD previews from your phoneExport a catalog file for another DriveVault user, an HTML report or a CSV file list, on all tiers
Getting the catalog onto another deviceSyncs one way, from your computer to your phone, over your local networkNo automatic sync. Export a .drivevault file and import it on another Mac
AccountEmail sign-in. Your plan is checked online at least once every 14 daysNo account needed, per DriveVault's website
Price$4.99 a month or $29.99 a year after a 14-day free trial (card required), or $99 once for Lifetime. Same price however many drives you catalogFree for one drive up to 4 TB. One-time tiers from $14.99 (up to 5 drives) to $99.99 (unlimited drives). No subscription
Uploads your filesNo. Your photos, previews and catalog stay on your computer and phoneNo. Its catalog and thumbnails stay on the Mac

Photos only. CachePix catalogs JPEG, PNG, WebP and 15 RAW formats (CR2, CR3, NEF, NRW, ARW, SR2, RAF, ORF, RW2, DNG, PEF, SRW, X3F, IIQ, 3FR). HEIC and TIFF photos are cataloged and searchable, with no preview yet. Video isn't supported. If your drives are mostly video, DriveVault is the better fit.

Where DriveVault fits better

DriveVault (listed on the Mac App Store as "DriveVault - Hard Drive Scan") is sold by Full Access Media Limited, a UK company. It's actively developed: version 1.2.10 was released in September 2026. For several kinds of archive, it's the better choice. The DriveVault details below come from its website and Mac App Store listing, as of October 2026.

  • Mixed-media and video archives. DriveVault catalogs any file type and creates low-resolution offline previews of both images and videos. CachePix doesn't catalog video at all.
  • Backup checks. DriveVault can compare two drives to show which files are missing or different, which is useful for checking backups.
  • Sharing with a team. It can export a catalog for another DriveVault user, an HTML report viewable in any browser, or a CSV file list, on all tiers. You don't have to create an account.
  • A free tier. As of October 2026, DriveVault is free for one drive up to 4 TB, with all features. Paid tiers are one-time purchases, and you can add capacity later for $9.99 per drive or $34.99 for five.
  • Documents. As of October 2026, a beta Context Scan mode indexes the text inside PDF files for offline search.
  • Project setup. An optional folder-template tool can create new folders on a drive you choose.

If you work on one Mac and never need the catalog on your phone, DriveVault is a simple offline drive catalog for the Mac. Its catalog lives on your Mac, and you search it there.

Running both on one Mac? As of October 2026, DriveVault requires macOS 14.0 or later, according to its App Store listing, and CachePix needs a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later), so you'll want an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 14 or later.

Where CachePix fits better

If you need to search a photo archive on external drives from your phone as well as your computer, here's what CachePix adds.

  • Your archive on your phone. Each cataloged JPEG, PNG, WebP and RAW photo gets a thumbnail on the phone, browsable and searchable with the drives at home. HD previews download automatically for a capture-date window you choose: 30 days, 90 days, 1 year (the default), 2 years or All photos.
  • Windows. CachePix runs on 64-bit Windows as well as Apple silicon Macs. One plan covers your computer and your phone with the same email.
  • Searching photo metadata. One search box covers filename, people, keywords, caption, headline, title, city, state, sublocation, creator, event and categories. Words combine, so "Rosa wedding" finds photos that match both. It reads the metadata you already wrote in Photo Mechanic or Lightroom, including XMP sidecars next to RAW files.
  • RAW+JPEG pairs and duplicates. A RAW and a JPEG with the same name in the same folder count as one photo. Identical copies on different drives become one photo with each location listed. Edited or re-saved copies stay separate.
  • Renamed drives. On Mac, CachePix tracks each drive by its volume ID, so a renamed drive re-links the next time you connect it.

For step-by-step searching, see find photos across drives. The rest of what the photo cataloging software does, and what it doesn't do yet, is on the features page.

Where the catalog lives

An offline catalog answers one question: do I have a photo of this, and where is it? A catalog on your Mac answers it in the room with your Mac. When the question comes up away from your desk, the answer waits until you're back at the computer.

DriveVault's answer is an HTML report, a snapshot of one drive that opens in any browser, phones included. CachePix keeps a synced, searchable copy of the catalog on your phone instead.

The catalog syncs one way, from your computer to your phone, over your local network. Pair once by scanning a QR code. Away from home, you can browse an unplugged drive's photos and search what's already synced. Full-size originals stay on your drives. The phone carries thumbnails and HD previews. Here's how to view external hard drive photos on your phone.

It takes less room than you'd think. On the library we measured, 190,566 photos (885.66 GB) in two folders on one external drive, the thumbnails came to 8.03 GB on an iPhone, about 44 KB per photo. HD previews add about 349 KB per photo for the window you choose. The method and the full figures are in how much space it uses on your phone.

Neither one is a backup. Like CachePix, DriveVault is a catalog, not a backup: it doesn't copy or sync your files. CachePix makes your archive findable but doesn't make a second copy, so keep backing up your drives.

Common questions

Is there a DriveVault for Windows?

No. As of October 2026, DriveVault is a Mac-only app, and its FAQ says there are no current plans for Windows or Linux versions. CachePix runs on 64-bit Windows (x64) and on Apple silicon Macs with macOS 12 or later, and one plan covers your computer and your phone with the same email.

Does DriveVault have an iPhone app?

No. As of October 2026, DriveVault has no iPhone, iPad or Android app, and its App Store listing is Mac-only. It can export an HTML report of a drive that opens in any browser, including on a phone, but each report is a snapshot of one drive. CachePix syncs a searchable catalog to iPhone and Android companion apps.

Can I use DriveVault and CachePix together?

Yes. They keep separate catalogs. According to DriveVault's terms, its optional folder-template tool can create new folders on a drive you choose without overwriting existing files. Cataloging never modifies, moves, renames or deletes your files. CachePix writes metadata only when you edit it, and only the fields you changed, as standard XMP in the file or in a sidecar next to RAW files.

Does either app upload my files?

No. DriveVault stores its catalog and thumbnails locally on the Mac, and its privacy policy (updated September 23, 2026) says the app doesn't connect to the internet. With CachePix, your photos, previews and catalog never leave your own computer and phone. CachePix's only online service is your account: email sign-in, the plan check, and Stripe billing in your browser.

Keep reading

Weighing other options? Compare photo catalog software side by side, or check CachePix pricing.

Last checked . DriveVault is actively developed, so check its site before you decide.

Sources

All DriveVault details on this page come from DriveVault's own website and Mac App Store listing. The Companies House record confirms only the seller.

  1. DriveVault home page. DriveVault (official site). Checked October 6, 2026.
  2. DriveVault FAQ. DriveVault (official site). Checked October 6, 2026.
  3. DriveVault changelog. DriveVault (official site). Checked October 6, 2026.
  4. DriveVault privacy policy, updated September 23, 2026. DriveVault (official site). Checked October 6, 2026.
  5. DriveVault terms. DriveVault (official site). Checked October 6, 2026.
  6. Sharing drive catalogs with teams. DriveVault blog (official site). Checked October 6, 2026.
  7. DriveVault - Hard Drive Scan. Mac App Store listing (official). Checked October 6, 2026.
  8. Full Access Media Limited, company 13274472. Companies House (UK government register), seller entity only. Checked October 7, 2026.

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