# The Editor Cryptograms vs Cryptic Writings

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cryptic Writings at none against The Editor Cryptograms's 10. Cryptic Writings also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 17 months). The Editor Cryptograms's advantage is iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Editor Cryptograms sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Cryptic Writings asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Editor Cryptograms ships an update every 17 months, Cryptic Writings every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Editor Cryptograms | Cryptic Writings |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.2 (445 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-editor-cryptograms/id1139384644/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **445** | — |
| Positive reviews | 87.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 33 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Allen Tom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1060197647) | [Lavish Software Solutions SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795329843) |

## What reviewers say

### The Editor Cryptograms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-editor-cryptograms/id1139384644)

Engage your logic and deduction skills in this encrypted phrase game. Decipher coded messages by identifying letter substitutions. Utilize helpful hints and statistical tools to crack challenging puzzles.

**Highlights:** Encrypted phrase puzzles, Letter substitution deciphering, Hint system for assistance, Letter frequency analysis, Bigram and trigram tools, Multiple puzzle packs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 250 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Great Outdoors - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Jobs Report - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| This Week in Entertainment - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Delicious Eats - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Around the World | $0.99 | one-time |
| Relations 101 - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Funnies - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| It's a Wild World - 50 puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging but enjoyable
- 🧠 Keeps the mind sharp
- 🕹️ Fun and engaging
- 📚 Good for word puzzles
- 🕰️ Passes the time well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Difficult to read font
- 💰 Locked levels require payment
- 📢 Frequent ads
- 🔁 Requires manual letter selection

**Reported bugs**

- Paid version still shows ads
- Levels remain locked after purchase

**Requested features**

- Automatic letter selection
- Reveal answer option
- Puns/quotes instead of just quotes
- Source of quotes provided


### Cryptic Writings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-writings-cryptograms/id6741738248)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Editor Cryptograms free?

The Editor Cryptograms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cryptic Writings free?

Cryptic Writings is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do The Editor Cryptograms or Cryptic Writings have ads?

Neither The Editor Cryptograms nor Cryptic Writings shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Editor Cryptograms or Cryptic Writings?

The Editor Cryptograms ships an update every 17 months, and Cryptic Writings every 5 months. Most recently, The Editor Cryptograms was updated on September 30, 2026 and Cryptic Writings on September 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*