# The Devil's Calculator vs Cracking the Cryptic

The clearest difference is rating: The Devil's Calculator at 4.8 against Cracking the Cryptic's 4.4. The Devil's Calculator also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 72%) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Devil's Calculator sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Devil's Calculator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 245 and 208 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of The Devil's Calculator's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's.

The Devil's Calculator ships an update every 10 days, Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Devil's Calculator | Cracking the Cryptic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (245 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-devils-calculator/id1447599858/reviews)** | [4.4 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **245** | 208 |
| Positive reviews | **87.2% of reviews** | 72.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 77 MB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Cinq-Mars Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/924648806) | [Nick Carney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434235673) |

## What reviewers say

### The Devil's Calculator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-devils-calculator/id1447599858)

This math puzzle game challenges you to decipher obscure operators on a calculator. Solve algebraic puzzles by working backward to understand the functions and purge the calculator of its demons. It's an addictive and educational experience with user-created levels and DLC.

**Highlights:** Obscure operator deciphering, Algebraic puzzle solving, User-created levels, DLC levels by mathematicians, Graphing mechanics, Hand-drawn artwork

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version of Game | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Most creative idea ever
- 🧠 Genius puzzle design
- 👍 Fun and educational
- 🚀 Brilliant game concept
- 🤓 Great for math lovers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Tedious late puzzles
- 🐛 Calculator responsiveness issues
- 🐛 Wolfram graphing feature doesn't work
- 🐛 Progress saving issues
- 🐛 Calculator malfunction

**Reported bugs**

- Some late puzzles with the third operator get too tedious with too much trial and error
- The built-in calculator needs some work and button responsiveness isn’t always the best.
- The graph to wolfram alpha function doesn’t seem to work.
- There’s unfortunately an exploit I accidentally discovered that allows you to bypass any level.
- The “real” calculator malfunctions when you want to use the answer you got previously, like if I input “330 * 2”, getting 660, then pressed “+6” on the next row, instead of showing 660 + 6 = 666, it’d show 2+6 = 8

**Requested features**

- Update the app
- Fix DLC Level 6
- More levels


### Cracking the Cryptic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CTC Worms - James Sinclair | $0.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Marty Sears | $0.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Zetamath | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Blobz | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Phistomefel | $1.99 | one-time |
| GAS Volume #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| GAS Volume #2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| CTC Approachable Sudoku #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Domino Sudoku Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lines Variety Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Classic Volume #2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| CTC Fog Pack #1 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Devil's Calculator free?

The Devil's Calculator 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, The Devil's Calculator or Cracking the Cryptic?

The Devil's Calculator is rated higher. The Devil's Calculator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 245 ratings, while Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 from 208 ratings.

### Do The Devil's Calculator or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?

Neither The Devil's Calculator nor Cracking the Cryptic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Devil's Calculator or Cracking the Cryptic?

The Devil's Calculator ships an update every 10 days, and Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Devil's Calculator was updated on October 9, 2026 and Cracking the Cryptic on October 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.*