Comparison

Flow Free vs Cracking the Cryptic

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

Head to head
About

Flow Free

Connect matching colored pipes to create a flow across the board, ensuring no pipes cross or overlap. Solve hundreds of challenging puzzles, with new daily levels available. Enjoy a relaxing or time-trial experience with smooth controls and engaging graphics.

Highlights
  • Warp paths across the board
  • Connect matching colors
  • Cover the entire board
  • Hundreds of free puzzles
  • Daily puzzles
  • Time Trial mode
Features
Read full description

Warps: Discover a new dimension of Flow Free®! Warp paths across the board in this challenging new Flow Free game. Connect matching colors with pipe to create a Flow®. Pair all colors, and cover the entire board to solve each puzzle. But watch out, pipes will break if they cross or overlap! Free play through hundreds of levels, or race against the clock in Time Trial mode. Gameplay ranges from simple and relaxed, to challenging and frenetic, and everywhere in between. How you play is up to you. So, give Flow Free: Warps a try, and experience "mind like water"! Flow Free: Warps features: * Over 2,500 free, warping puzzles! * Daily puzzles: new levels every day, never run out * Carefully crafted, high-quality puzzles ranging from easy to extreme! * Optimized touch controls for smooth, satisfying play * Game Center achievements and cloud sync of your progress * Clean, colorful graphics and fun sound effects Enjoy!

About

Cracking the Cryptic

This app offers a curated collection of handcrafted Sudoku puzzles from world-renowned constructors. Explore classic and unique variants, with new puzzle packs released regularly. A free introductory pack is included with download.

Highlights
  • Handcrafted Sudoku puzzles
  • Curated by expert constructors
  • Classic and unique variants
  • Regularly released puzzle packs
  • Free introductory puzzle pack
Features
Read full description

OUR NEWEST PACK – CLASSIC VOLUME #2! Classic sudoku is where it all began, and there is still lots of skill to be deployed to solve classic puzzles, and new techniques to be explored. Nikoli, the Japanese puzzle house, named and popularised sudoku from 1984, and we have commissioned 20 puzzles from them for this Classic Sudoku 2 app. We have also created 20 ourselves, and sourced 20 more from Sam Cappleman-Lynes, the brilliant British sudoku expert. The result is a wonderful 60-puzzle pack which will delight and challenge you. -------------------- Welcome to the brand new Sudoku app from the most popular Sudoku channel, Cracking The Cryptic. Unlike other Sudoku apps, we feature handcrafted and curated puzzles from the world’s best Sudoku constructors. Each collection features puzzles made by various authors that are now familiar names to those who follow the channel. Authors like Phistomefel, Clover, Sam Cappleman-Lynes, Christoph Seeliger, Richard Stolk, jovi_al, Qodec, Prasanna Seshadri and of course, Simon and Mark! Downloading Cracking the Cryptic will give you access to our first free collection – a variety pack by Prasanna Seshadri featuring 7 puzzles inspired from our previous Sudoku apps; Sandwich, Classic, Chess, Thermo, Miracle, Killer and Arrow Sudoku. We also have purchasable packs designed for all skill levels and featuring many unique variants not seen previously. We’ll be releasing more free and paid packs in the future so keep an eye on the app for more Sudoku content from Cracking The Cryptic!

Screenshots

Flow Free4 screens
Cracking the Cryptic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Cracking the Cryptic at none against Flow Free's shown. Cracking the Cryptic also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). Flow Free's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (5.2K vs 208). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. Flow Free sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Flow Free holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flow Free has 5.2K ratings behind it against 208, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Flow Free's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flow Free ships an update every 5 months, Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Flow Free versus Cracking the Cryptic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlow FreeCracking the Cryptic
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (5.2K ratings) — better4.4 (208 ratings)
Positive reviews81.7% of reviews — better72.1% of reviews
Number of ratings5.2K — better208
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBig Duck Games LLCNick Carney

Customer experience

Flow Free

All ratings5,195 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews295 reviews
Positive81.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative12.2%

Cracking the Cryptic

All ratings208 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive72.1%
Neutral13.6%
Negative14.3%

User reviews

Flow Free

From 5.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Enjoyable puzzles
  • 🧠 Challenging gameplay
  • 💎 Addictive and fun
  • 🎨 Beautiful colors
  • 🧩 Satisfying to solve

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Puzzles can be too difficult
  • 📺 Intrusive ads
  • 🔇 Ads ignore sound settings
  • 🔒 Progress not saved after reinstall
  • 🔘 Confusing UI changes

Cracking the Cryptic

From 208 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best sudoku app
  • 👍 Great variety of puzzles
  • 👍 Excellent user interface
  • 👍 Challenging and fun puzzles
  • 👍 Constant updates with new puzzles

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Hints are often incorrect or unhelpful
  • 🐛 Bugs and crashes, especially after updates
  • 🔋 Battery draining issues
  • 🔒 Too many in-app purchases required to access content

Bugs and requests

Flow Free

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Ads causing app freezes
  • Inability to close ads or return to game

Requested features

5 requests
  • More levels and packs
  • Ability to connect dots through warps
  • Option to disable flashing/bouncing completion indicators
  • Separate names for each Flow Free game
  • Ability to share/compete puzzles with friends

Cracking the Cryptic

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Puzzle progress and purchases disappearing after updates
  • Incorrect rules or hints in certain puzzles
  • Crashes and freezes, especially on older devices or Macs
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more color options for pencil marking and highlighting
  • Implement a way to clear progress or start puzzles from scratch
  • Integrate all CTC apps into a single app for better organization
  • Add keyboard support, especially on Mac
  • Improve the quality and clarity of hints

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Flow Free

One-time12
  • 5 Hints$0.99
  • Pastel Colors$0.99
  • Neon Rainbow Colors$0.99
Show 9 more
  • Fall Harvest Colors$0.99
  • Winter Chill Colors$0.99
  • Starter Bundle$1.99
  • Unlock All Themes$1.99
  • Comet Pack$1.99
  • Kids Pack$1.99
  • 20 Hints$2.99
  • Unlock All Packs$4.99
  • 100 Hints$9.99
13 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time13
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
Show 10 more
  • CTC Worms - Blobz$1.99
  • CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
  • CTC Worms - Phistomefel$1.99
  • GAS Volume #1$2.99
  • GAS Volume #2$2.99
  • CTC Approachable Sudoku #1$2.99
  • Domino Sudoku Pack$4.99
  • Lines Variety Pack$4.99
  • Classic Volume #2$4.99
  • CTC Fog Pack #1$4.99

Questions

Is Flow Free free?
Flow Free is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Flow Free or Cracking the Cryptic?
Flow Free is rated higher. Flow Free averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 from 208 ratings.
Do Flow Free or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?
Flow Free shows ads; Cracking the Cryptic does not.
Which is updated more often, Flow Free or Cracking the Cryptic?
Flow Free ships an update every 5 months, and Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. Most recently, Flow Free was updated on September 25, 2026 and Cracking the Cryptic on September 26, 2026.

Other comparisons