Comparison

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite vs The Cipher

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite

Securely encrypt and decrypt sensitive text data, including notes, messages, and cryptocurrency keys. Offers robust security with multiple strong encryption algorithms and advanced steganography features to hide data within images. Also supports secure password exchange using post-quantum cryptography.

Highlights
  • Text encryption and decryption
  • Steganography (hide text in JPEG)
  • Post-quantum key encapsulation
  • Multiple strong encryption algorithms
  • Copy/paste and file saving
  • Session-based password management
Features
Read full description

• Paranoia Text Encryption is a comprehensive text encryption application for iOS devices (iPhone/iPad/iPod) and macOS, developed by Paranoia Works. • Paranoia Text Encryption safeguards your notes, SMS messages, emails, social networking posts, cryptocurrency keys (seeds, mnemonics), and any other text from unwanted readers. • Simply copy and paste text to and from your favorite applications, or save it to a file for future use. • This app does not function as a "vault application." Instead, a password is set for the current encryption/decryption session, not to enter the app itself. You may use an unlimited number of passwords for any purpose—different files, tasks, people, etc. • The app guarantees robust security by encrypting data using strong encryption algorithms: Blowfish (448-bit), AES (256-bit), RC6 (256-bit), Serpent (256-bit), and Twofish (256-bit) ciphers. • Steganography: The application includes steganographic features, allowing you to conceal text or files within a JPEG image. Two algorithms are available: J-UNIWARD (content-adaptive, minimizes visual distortion, harder to detect) and F5 (matrix encoding, efficient embedding). The selected algorithm works with the chosen symmetric cipher to produce the final steganogram. • Key Encapsulation (KEM): Securely exchange encryption passwords using the post-quantum ML-KEM mechanism (NIST FIPS 203). Two parties can establish a shared password without ever transmitting it directly, with protection against future quantum computer attacks. ◆ Differences between Free and PRO versions: The PRO version offers additional encryption algorithms, specifically Threefish (1024-bit), SHACAL-2 (512-bit), and Paranoia C4 (2048-bit), which is a cascade of Threefish–Serpent–AES–SHACAL-2. While the free version can decrypt data encrypted by these advanced algorithms, the ability to encrypt data using these algorithms is exclusive to the PRO version. The PRO version also provides a key to activate the PRO versions of desktop applications: Paranoia File & Text Encryption for PC, Paranoia Text Encryption for PC, and S.S.E. File Encryptor for PC. • The application is natively compatible with macOS (10.15 and later). Versions for other systems and platforms can be downloaded from the application homepage: https://paranoiaworks.mobi/download/. • An online (web-based) version, utilizing AES and client-side JavaScript, and other utilities are available at https://pteo.paranoiaworks.mobi

About

The Cipher

This app allows users to encrypt and decrypt messages using a variety of classic ciphers. It also includes tools for cryptoanalysis to help understand encrypted text and a mod calculator.

Highlights
  • Multiple classic ciphers (Rail Fence, Caesar, Vigenere, Enigma, etc.)
  • Cryptoanalysis tools (Letter Frequency, N-Gram Frequency)
  • Mod Calculator
  • Random Generator
  • Encrypt and decrypt messages
Features
Read full description

Encrypt and decrypt messages using famous ciphers. *** Ciphers *** * Rail Fence * Scytale * Caesar Shift * Substitution * Vigenere * Enigma *** Crypto-anaylis *** * Letter Frequency * N-Gram Frequency * Word Frequency * Repeated Letters + Factors * Index of Coincidence * Fitness Measure *** Tools *** * Mod Calculator * Random Generator

Screenshots

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite4 screens
The Cipher4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Paranoia Text Encryption Lite at 74% against The Cipher's 29%. Paranoia Text Encryption Lite also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.8) and ratings volume (84 vs 6). The Cipher's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (12.2 vs 14.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paranoia Text Encryption Lite has 84 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Paranoia Text Encryption Lite's written reviews are positive against 29% of The Cipher's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite ships an update every 2 months, The Cipher fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Paranoia Text Encryption Lite versus The Cipher: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterParanoia Text Encryption LiteThe Cipher
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (84 ratings) — better2.8 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews74.1% of reviews — better28.6% of reviews
Number of ratings84 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.512.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrantisek DvorakLogan Richards

Customer experience

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite

All ratings84 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral7.4%
Negative18.5%

The Cipher

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative71.4%

In-app purchases

None

Paranoia Text Encryption Lite

No in-app purchases

None

The Cipher

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Paranoia Text Encryption Lite free?
Paranoia Text Encryption Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is The Cipher free?
The Cipher is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Paranoia Text Encryption Lite or The Cipher?
Paranoia Text Encryption Lite is rated higher. Paranoia Text Encryption Lite averages 4.5 out of 5 from 84 ratings, while The Cipher averages 2.8 from 6 ratings.
Do Paranoia Text Encryption Lite or The Cipher have ads?
Neither Paranoia Text Encryption Lite nor The Cipher shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Paranoia Text Encryption Lite or The Cipher?
Paranoia Text Encryption Lite ships an update every 2 months, and The Cipher fortnightly. Most recently, Paranoia Text Encryption Lite was updated on October 6, 2026 and The Cipher on October 2, 2026.

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