Gunbox and Vaultek are the two companies fighting it out to make the best possible smart safe.
Gunbox at this point has been around for a while and has been refining their 2.0 version with new features constantly, meanwhile, Vaultek has been building out a rather large line of safes all with a ton of great features.
These two companies have two sets of directly competing safes. The Gunbox 2.0 competes with the Vaultek VT20i, and the Gunbox Echo competes directly with the Vaultek VT10i. Lets see how they stack up!
Gunbox 2.0 vs Vaultek VT20i
The Gunbox’s direct competitor is going to be the Vaultek VT20i! Surprisingly both units are exactly the same weight, which makes for a great comparison.
Both of these smart safes sit in around the same price bracket, as the Gunbox 2.0’s MSRP is $299.00 and the Vaultek VT20i is at $269.00 (If you option without the biometric fingerprint reader it is $189.00).
I do also have to say I have quite a bit more experience with the Gunbox 2.0, as I do personally have one at the moment and you can read more about that here. And it really is a great safe! I also have a Vaultek VT10i, but we’ll talk about that one later on.
So what is the same?
Both of these safes come with quite a few of the same features, most notably the biometric opening, and many other options to open the safe.
As well as auto opening, internal LED lights, and mounting holes for anchoring to desks or floors.
These safes also both in the end offer the same idea. A smart safe that notifies you when people are messing with it, and that will open quickly and in multiple ways when you need it.
What is the difference?
There are a surprising amount of differences between the two units. The Gunbox 2.0 has RFID, and USB Charging ports and the Vaultek VT20i does not.
While the Vaultek VT20i includes an illuminated keypad, impact detection, a key backup, mounting plate options, includes a tether cable out of the box, and has the option of having a smart key, which basically is an external button to open the safe.
Let’s see these units side by side in the table below!
| Gunbox 2.0 | Vaultek VT20i | |
| Audible Motion/Tamper Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Colors | 2 Options | 3 Options |
| Exterior Dimensions | 11.6″ x 10″ x 2.7″ | 11.5″ X 9″ X 2.625″ |
| Fingerprint Unlock | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Opening | Hydraulic | Spring |
| Illuminated Keypad | No | Yes |
| Impact Detection | No | Yes |
| Interior Dimensions | 8.75″ x 7.5″ x 1.75″ | 11″ X 5.75″ X 2″ |
| Internal LED Light | Yes | Yes |
| Key Backup | No | Yes |
| Keypad Unlock | Yes | Yes |
| Mounting Holes | Yes | Yes |
| Mounting Plate | No | Yes |
| Pre-Drilled Mounting Holes | Yes | Yes |
| Rechargeable Lithium Battery | Yes | Yes |
| RFiD Unlock | Yes | No |
| Smart Key | No | Yes |
| Tether Cable | Option | Included |
| TSA Approved | Yes | Yes |
| USB Charging Ports | Yes | No |
| Weight | 7.2 Pounds | 7.2 LB |
So what are my thoughts?
Both the Gunbox and the Vaultek VT20i offer so many more (and quality) options than really any other safe on the market.
However one of them offers more than the other, and that would be the Vaultek VT20i.
If I were at this moment going to buy one of these safes, it would have to be the Vaultek WITHOUT the biometric fingerprint scanner. I’m not a huge fan of fingerprint scanners and this gives a great savings on the wallet.
Everyone has their own needs and wants though, so don’t count the Gunbox 2.0 out yet.
The Gunbox offers a much better look and feel, and will appeal to a lot of people that the Vaultek won’t.
The Aesthetics of the Gunbox also offer a form of diversion safe, as people aren’t going to be looking for a Gunbox, they are going to be looking for something like a safe, and the Vaultek does look like a safe.
The Gunbox 2.0 on the other hand looks more like a hard drive, or something computer related.
So decide for yourself what is most important for you and your home.
To learn more, here are some videos about both of these little safes!
Vaultek VT10i vs Gunbox Echo
The Gunbox Echo is the entry level into Gunbox’s line of gun safes, while the VT10i is more of the midrange gun safe by Vaultek. Both of these safes go head-to-head with similar features, and more.
The starting price for the Gunbox Echo is $199.00 and the starting price for the VT10i is $244.99, meaning the Echo has an immediate advantage on the price side of things.
Both of these safes are smart safes, with tons of tech built into them!
There really aren’t many other safes on the market like these, so if you want an entry level smart safe, these are it!
As mentioned earlier, I do personally have a Vaultek VT10i that keep near my desk, and you can read my full review about that safe here.
So what is the same?
Both safes have biometric locks and a built-in keypad. They both also can or do have a tether cable, rechargeable batteries, and can be opened via a smartphone application.
What is the difference?
These safes take a very different approach on aesthetics, where the Gunbox has a more futuristic design, while the Vaultek takes the more utilitarian tactical style.
The Echo also features RFID unlock, is over half the weight, and is a bit smaller than the Vaultek.
The Vaultek gives you a removable and replaceable battery, twice the warranty, and has an illuminated keypad.
Most importantly, the Vaultek also includes a key backup, so you know that no matter what you can get into the safe.
The below table gives a great comparison as to what these safes do and don’t have.
| Gunbox Echo | Vaultek VT10i | |
| Fingerprint Unlock | Yes | Yes |
| Keypad Unlock | Yes | Yes |
| RFID Unlock | Yes | No |
| Audible Motion Alarm | Yes | Yes |
| Tether Cable | Optional | Included |
| Colors | 2 Options | 3 Options |
| Weight | 2.5 Pounds | 5.2 Pounds |
| Internal Dimensions | 8.5″ x 7.25″ x 1.75″ | 9.875″ X 5.375″ X 1.5″ |
| External Dimensions | 9.5″ x 9.25″ x 2.15″ | 10.5″ X 8.5″ X 2.125″ |
| Rechargeable Battery | Yes | Yes (Removeable) |
| Warranty | 1 Year – (Parts + Labor) | 2 Years |
| Phone App Capable | Yes | Yes |
| Illuminated Keypad | No | Yes |
| Key backup | No | Yes |
What are my thoughts?
For this level of safe, I think for the price the Gunbox Echo beats out the Vaultek VT10i.
For a considerably less price you can get a really smart safe, with only a couple downsides.
I personally have the Vaultek VT10i, and it is one of my favorite safes, so you really can’t go wrong with it.
However for a complete head-to-head comparison, the Gunbox Echo is really just a great value, and a great entry into a smart safe.
If you feel like the Echo is your best option, you can buy it from their website here. If you feel like the VT10i is your best bet, you can buy it from their website here.
You can also learn a little more about each safe by watching these two videos.
Conclusion
In the end, you really can’t go wrong with either a Gunbox or Vaultek safe. Both have so many features that the competition just can’t compete with.
Both of these companies though do make premium products, so if you need a cheaper safe to get you by, these probably aren’t them.
I have both the 2.0, and the VT10i that the manufacturers have been kind enough to send out to me, and both of them are great products.
I do personally like the spring mechanism on the Vaultek instead of the Gunbox 2.0s gas struts for the reliability.
If you want a larger safe, I think the VT20i is your best bet. If you want a smaller safe, the Gunbox Echo is your best bet.
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