# Cryptogram vs Rettel

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rettel at none against Cryptogram's 9. Rettel also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Cryptogram's advantage is ratings volume (499 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 11 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptogram sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Rettel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Rettel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cryptogram has 499 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Cryptogram ships an update every 3 days, Rettel every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptogram | Rettel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (499 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-word-puzzle-game/id1549190465/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rettel/id6761343326/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **499** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 68.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 71 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Berkay Saglam](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549190677) | [Rettel LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492599490) |

## What reviewers say

### Cryptogram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-word-puzzle-game/id1549190465)

Decrypt famous quotes in this engaging word puzzle game. Solve cryptograms to unlock wisdom, motivation, and inspiration. Features various categories, authors, difficulty levels, and customization options.

**Highlights:** Decrypt famous quotes, Select categories and authors, Four difficulty levels, Save favorite quotes, Hints available, Share solved quotes, Multiple color schemes

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cryptogram Plus | $0.99 | per month |
| Cryptogram Plus | $2.99 | per month |
| Cryptogram Plus | $9.99 | per year |
| 5 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| 15 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Offline Quotes | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30 Hints | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| 80 Hints | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🎮 Multiple difficulty levels for all skill levels
- 📚 Wide variety of quote categories
- 💰 Minimal ads compared to other apps
- 🧠 Engaging and mentally stimulating gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Inappropriate and explicit ads appearing
- 🐛 Ads freezing the app mid-gameplay
- 📊 Data server issues affecting leaderboards
- ⚠️ GDPR compliance and data privacy concerns
- 💳 Payment issues with hint purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Ads freezing application and preventing progress
- Game completion not registering despite solving puzzle
- Hint system providing letters not in cryptogram
- Settings reverting to default after closing app
- Keyboard layout settings not saving properly

**Requested features**

- Home screen widget functionality
- Filter and search for favorite quotes
- Ad-free premium version option
- Color-coded cipher letters for pattern recognition
- Landscape mode support for tablets


### Rettel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rettel/id6761343326)

Engage in a strategic 2-player word-building game on a letter grid. Plan your moves as submitted words are reversed in the grid. Features include competitive play, friend challenges, and progress tracking.

**Highlights:** 2-player word building on a grid, Submitted words reverse in the grid, Play against random players or friends, Track wins, best words, and top scores, Daily word finding challenge, Zen mode with random letters

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptogram free?

Cryptogram is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Rettel free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cryptogram or Rettel?

Rettel is rated higher. Cryptogram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 499 ratings, while Rettel averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Cryptogram or Rettel have ads?

Both Cryptogram and Rettel show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptogram or Rettel?

Cryptogram ships an update every 3 days, and Rettel every 11 days. Most recently, Cryptogram was updated on October 29, 2026 and Rettel on October 24, 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.*