# Necrozone vs Cipher Challenge

The clearest difference is monetization model: Cipher Challenge at free against Necrozone's paid. Cipher Challenge also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months). Necrozone's advantage is review sentiment (93% vs 67%) and ratings volume (60 vs 4). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cipher Challenge holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Necrozone has 60 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 93% of Necrozone's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cipher Challenge's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Necrozone ships an update every 12 months, Cipher Challenge every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and June 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Necrozone | Cipher Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/necrozone/id1589972655/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **60** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **93.1% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 14 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kyle Schaub](https://appshunter.io/developer/1589972657) | [Bao Lei](https://appshunter.io/developer/376966834) |

## What reviewers say

### Necrozone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/necrozone/id1589972655)

A retro action game challenging players to defeat enemies quickly. Guide a ball of light through levels, avoiding obstacles and destroying monsters using the environment's rune layout. Master five distinct zones with unique challenges to achieve perfect scores.

**Highlights:** Retro action gameplay, Defeat enemies quickly, Guide a ball of light, Avoid obstacles, Break apart monsters, Five unique zones, Level perfection challenges

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cipher Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455)

Engage your mind with a variety of cipher decoding challenges. Practice different cipher types, track your progress, and compete with friends. Unlock quotes and sync your achievements across devices.

**Highlights:** Multiple cipher modes, Letter frequency analysis, Multiplayer competition, Unlocked quote gallery, Score history tracking, iCloud sync across devices, Hard mode challenge

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Necrozone free?

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

### Is Cipher Challenge free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Necrozone or Cipher Challenge?

Cipher Challenge is rated higher. Necrozone averages 4.8 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while Cipher Challenge averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Necrozone or Cipher Challenge have ads?

Neither Necrozone nor Cipher Challenge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Necrozone or Cipher Challenge?

Necrozone ships an update every 12 months, and Cipher Challenge every 3 weeks. Most recently, Necrozone was updated on July 5, 2026 and Cipher Challenge on June 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*