Comparison

Crostics vs Cryptogram IQ

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

Head to head
About

Crostics

Engaging word puzzles that combine crosswords and quote deciphering. Solve clues to reveal a hidden quote, or use parts of the quote to solve the clues. Enjoy a beautifully designed, ad-free experience with adjustable difficulty.

Highlights
  • Reveal hidden quotes
  • Decipher clues using quote
  • Unlimited hints
  • Undo functionality
  • Light and Dark mode
  • Help section
Features
Read full description

Like word games? Crossword puzzles? Then you’ll love Crostics, the new word game where you reveal a hidden quote by answering clues, and decipher clues by filling in the quote! Letter in the answers are linked to letters in the quote—answer the clues, and you uncover more and more of the quote, or fill in more of the quote to decipher the clues. Beautifully designed for iPhone and iPad, Crostics puts engaging puzzles at your fingertips without the pain of erasing pencil marks from paper. The result is more fun with less distraction. And no ads! Crostics includes a free book of 24 puzzles and you can buy more right in the app. There are a wide range of difficultly levels, so whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player you’ll find a good challenge to stretch your brain! If you like word games, you’re going to love Crostics! Features - Unlimited hints - Undo - Play in portrait (and in landscape on iPad) - Play in Light or Dark mode - Learn how to play with the included help

About

Cryptogram IQ

Decode cryptic ciphers and solve word puzzles by connecting letters and numbers. Use logic and clues to decipher hidden quotes and expand your vocabulary. This game offers thousands of challenges to test your word search and logic skills.

Highlights
  • Decode cryptic ciphers
  • Solve cross-logic puzzles
  • Connect letters and numbers
  • Decrypt hidden quotes
  • Enhance logic skills
  • Expand vocabulary
Features
Read full description

Cryptogram IQ is a word puzzle that challenges you to decode cryptic ciphers, make connections between letters and numbers, and figure out each clue to complete the cross-logic puzzles. In this game, you crack the code, connect the correct letters, and complete the decoding process of quotes using clues. You need to use your logic skills to hunt for hidden letters in clues and words that have associations to decipher each quote. Decrypt hidden quotes in thousands of puzzles and become the crypto master. How to Play: - Your main objective is to decipher the quotes by finding the right letters. - Utilize clues and words like definitions and sayings to find letters. - The correct letters auto-fill throughout the puzzle. - Pay attention to filling in the main quote dashes. Game Features: - Cryptograms enhance logic and word search skills with each puzzle solved. - Learn new words and expand your vocabulary while playing daily! - User-friendly crossword game for adults. - The quotes have been carefully selected and verified to ensure they are error free. Get ready to explore the cryptogram challenge and search for inspirational quotes in this zen word puzzle game! Download Now!

Screenshots

Crostics4 screens
Cryptogram IQ4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Crostics at none against Cryptogram IQ's shown. Crostics also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (96% vs 83%). Cryptogram IQ's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ratings volume, 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. Crostics sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Cryptogram IQ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Crostics holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 628 and 216 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Crostics's written reviews are positive against 83% of Cryptogram IQ's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Crostics ships an update every 6 months, Cryptogram IQ every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Crostics versus Cryptogram IQ: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrosticsCryptogram IQ
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (628 ratings) — better4.6 (216 ratings)
Positive reviews96.0% of reviews — better83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings628 — better216
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB65 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJohn BlackburnMegarama Games Ltd

Customer experience

Crostics

All ratings628 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive96.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative0.0%

Cryptogram IQ

All ratings216 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral6.5%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative5.6%

User reviews

Crostics

From 628 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Clean, intuitive, and modern interface
  • 🎮 Fun and engaging gameplay mechanics
  • 💡 Custom keyboard for faster input
  • 🔇 Minimal, delightful sound effects
  • ⭐ High-quality puzzle content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional freezing and resizing issues
  • 😴 Repetitive content across 100 levels
  • ⚠️ Very easy difficulty level
  • 📏 Shorter puzzles than traditional magazines
  • 🔤 Unclear multi-word answer formatting

Cryptogram IQ

From 216 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and enjoyable gameplay
  • 🧠 Keeps brain sharp and challenged
  • 💡 New and different from other games
  • 😌 Relaxing experience
  • 🤔 Makes you think outside the box

Room to improve

  • 😵 Endless and overwhelming ads
  • 💰 High cost to remove ads
  • 🔄 Repetitive with few games

Bugs and requests

Crostics

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes occasionally
  • Unexpected resizing of interface elements
  • Delete function requires multiple presses (workaround: long press available)

Requested features

11 requests
  • More puzzle books and content
  • Word count indicators in clues (e.g., '2 words', '3 words')
  • Spaces in clues for multi-word answers
  • Author attribution guessing feature
  • Ability to view solved puzzles after completion
Show 6 more
  • Toggle option to disable correct answer notifications
  • Automatic dark/light mode switching
  • First letters of clues spelling author names
  • More challenging and scholarly clues
  • Bulk delete function for clue answers
  • Lower pricing for puzzle packs

Cryptogram IQ

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • App faulty, won't open after reaching a certain level

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Crostics

One-time4
  • 1 Book7 variants$1.99
  • 2 Books3 variants$3.99
  • 4 Books2 variants$5.99
Show 1 more
  • 8 Books$9.99
1 purchases

Cryptogram IQ

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$9.99

Questions

Is Crostics free?
Crostics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cryptogram IQ free?
Cryptogram IQ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Crostics or Cryptogram IQ?
Crostics is rated higher. Crostics averages 4.8 out of 5 from 628 ratings, while Cryptogram IQ averages 4.6 from 216 ratings.
Do Crostics or Cryptogram IQ have ads?
Cryptogram IQ shows ads; Crostics does not.
Which is updated more often, Crostics or Cryptogram IQ?
Crostics ships an update every 6 months, and Cryptogram IQ every 3 weeks. Most recently, Crostics was updated on October 14, 2026 and Cryptogram IQ on October 10, 2026.

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