Spell the Beans vs Cipher
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Spell the Beans
This word game offers a unique twist by having players place letters as they appear into various containers, creating words in multiple directions. It features several distinct game modes with different mechanics and scoring systems for endless replayability.
- Dynamic letter placement into beans, bubbles, or hearts
- Words created in any direction
- Multiple game modes (8-Spot, Cyrano, etc.)
- AI opponent (Blu Yonder)
- Fifty color schemes
- Intuitive drag-and-highlight interface
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Tired of word games that fall into the same old patterns? This game won't. Trust us. Spill a handful of slightly magical coffee beans, and as letters come up, put them in any bean you choose. As you place more letters, you create words in every direction, including a lot you weren't even looking for. We keep track of your words and score so you can focus on where you put the letters. Besides beans, you can drop letters into bubbles of spilled hot coffee if even more jam-packed jumbled fun is your cup of tea. Or slow the pace with colored candy hearts, where shorter words carry more weight. Our fourth variation, 8-Spot, forces you to adapt by "spotting" randomly pre-placed letters in fixed locations, taking you slightly out of your comfort zone. The latest mode, Cyrano, chooses three special random letters that boost the score of any word you put them in. What's outside the box about Spell the Beans? For one thing, you're building words, not simply finding them. You place letters as they come up one at a time, anticipating what might come, in a randomly spilled pattern that's different every time, as opposed to facing a fixed grid pre-filled with letters from the start. This game is anything but repetitive. The letters, hearts, bubbles and beans spill deliciously differently every time, making each game a fresh challenge. Or a sandbox of see-what-happens finger-fidgeting, if it's been that kind of day. You can play the no-look challenge and you'll be hard-pressed not to score. Or use your wits to create a web frankly teeming with words. Think as much or as little as you want. Pour spelling either way. Spell the Beans. Come for the coffee. Stay for the play. Features: • Carefully roasted blend of letters – This is not your grandparents' RSTLNE. We're confident no one has quite this fine-tuned mix. You’ll love the difference. • Endless variation in random bean, bubble and heart patterns – Never face the same setup twice. Get your cognitive shuffle here. And just leave the spilling and cleanup to us. The leading soft, absorbent paper towel not required. • Scoring in any direction - any connected beans, bubbles or hearts can make a word. Literally lateral thinking. People love getting words they didn't even see coming. Great spelling is optional. • Play alone or against Blu Yonder, an opponent who’ll always keep you on your toes. Sometimes beatable, often unbelievable. Always Blu. • Fifty color schemes to choose from. Intuitive interface lets you drag anywhere to highlight word locations easily.
Cipher
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No ads during puzzles. Every day, a new encoded quote waits for you. Crack the cipher, reveal the message, keep your streak alive. Tap a coded letter. Tap what you think it means. Watch the quote unlock - one letter at a time. - Daily puzzle, fresh every day - Free play with hundreds of quotes - Earn coins, use hints when stuck - Track your streak and stats - Dark, clean design built for focus Simple to learn. Satisfying to solve. By using this app, you agree to the Apple Standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Cipher at Free against Spell the Beans's $0.99. Cipher also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). Spell the Beans's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On ads 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
Cipher is free to download; Spell the Beans costs $0.99 up front. Cipher sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Spell the Beans asks for nothing beyond the download.
Spell the Beans ships an update every 3 weeks, Cipher every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Spell the Beans | Cipher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.5 (4 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 4 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bradley Stanton | Eldar Tutnjic |
In-app purchases
Spell the Beans
No in-app purchases
Cipher
- Cipher Pass Monthly$2.991 Month
- Cipher Pass Yearly$17.991 Year
- 50 Coins$0.99
- 120 Coins$1.99
- 300 Coins$3.99
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- Cipher Pass Lifetime$34.99
Questions
Is Spell the Beans free?
Is Cipher free?
Do Spell the Beans or Cipher have ads?
Which is updated more often, Spell the Beans or Cipher?
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