VaultAlts vs WoW addons
Updated on
Addons and VaultAlts read different things. An addon runs inside the game client and sees everything the client sees, but only while you are logged in. VaultAlts reads Blizzard's public API, so it works on a phone with the game closed and shows every character at once, but it cannot see gold, bags, the Auction House or Classic characters.
So the question is not which one is better. It is which hours of the week each one covers.
VaultAltsRosterVaultAltsGreat VaultWhat VaultAlts adds on top of your addons:
- Tracking across characters away from the PC
- Web and mobile access with the same account
- A roster wide overview no single addon gives
- Data that survives the logout and refreshes from the API the moment you open the app
Keep your addons for the game session. Use VaultAlts for everywhere else.
What each one can see
| Data | An addon, in game | VaultAlts, from Blizzard's API |
|---|---|---|
| Great Vault slots | Exact, for the logged in character | Rebuilt from raid encounters, keystone runs and completed weekly quests; the world row is estimated |
| Items inside the vault | Yes | No. The API does not publish them |
| Best keys and Mythic+ rating | Yes | Yes, from the keystone profile, one best run per dungeon |
| Raid bosses killed this week | Yes | Yes, counted against a snapshot taken before each reset |
| Gear, item level, achievements | Yes | Yes, from the equipment and achievements feeds |
| Mounts, pets, toys | Yes | Yes, account wide from the collections feeds |
| Gold, bags, bank | Yes | No |
| Auction House | Yes, in game | No |
| Classic, Hardcore, Anniversary characters | Depends on the addon | No, retail profile API only |
| Works with the game closed | No | Yes |
| Every character at once | Depends on the addon | Yes, every character in your region |
Read down the right column and the shape is clear: everything VaultAlts shows is something Blizzard publishes per character through the API, and everything it lacks is something Blizzard does not. The other tools in the same space, addons included, are compared by group on comparing WoW alt management tools.
Which hours each one covers
An addon covers the session: the pull, the key, the vault window when you open it. VaultAlts covers the rest of the week: the commute when you wonder which alt still needs a dungeon, the evening you decide which character to log into, the hour before reset. The night before reset it also sends a reminder, 24 hours and 6 hours out, naming the alt with the cheapest slot left, if you turn that on. For the vault specifically, the same comparison across addons, the game's own window and spreadsheets is on Great Vault addon alternatives; for keys, on Mythic+ tracking tools worth using.
Where VaultAlts is honestly behind
- The world row is an estimate. Blizzard's API has no field for it, so VaultAlts counts the weekly quests reported as completed, which can lag the in game count until the next sync.
- Dungeons are counted once each. The API gives the best keystone run per dungeon, so a dungeon run twice, and Heroic or Timewalking runs, do not add to the app's count while they do count in game.
- The raid row needs one reset to settle. Kills are counted against a snapshot taken before each reset, so the first week after connecting reads zero.
- One region per account, retail only, nothing to install in the game. You log in on Blizzard's own page and the app receives a read only token you can revoke at any time under Connections at account.battle.net.
Frequently asked questions
Does VaultAlts replace WoW addons?
No. Addons see everything the game client sees while you are logged in; VaultAlts shows what Blizzard's API publishes, from anywhere, with the game closed. Players who run several alts usually keep both: addons at the keyboard, the app for the rest of the week.
Can VaultAlts see my gold, bags or the Auction House?
No. Blizzard's Profile API does not publish gold, bag or bank contents, or Auction House data for a character, so no API app can show them. Addons can, in game.
Do I have to install anything in the game to use VaultAlts?
No. You log in once on Blizzard's own page, the app receives a read only token for the characters on your account, and you can revoke it at any time under Connections at account.battle.net. Your password never reaches VaultAlts.
Does VaultAlts work with Classic characters?
No. It reads the retail profile API, so Classic, Hardcore and Anniversary realm characters do not appear. Some addons have Classic builds; that depends on the addon.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these, Blizzard first. Store listings were read on the date shown under the title.
Take your alts with you
VaultAlts tracks Great Vault, this week's Mythic+ keys, raid boss kills and collections for unlimited characters, free on iOS and Android.