# SmartFriends vs Unciphered

The clearest difference is ads: Unciphered at none against SmartFriends's shown. Unciphered also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). SmartFriends's advantage is ratings volume (138 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SmartFriends sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Unciphered sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Unciphered holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartFriends has 138 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of SmartFriends's written reviews are positive against 100% of Unciphered's.

SmartFriends ships an update every 2 weeks, Unciphered every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartFriends | Unciphered |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (138 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfriends-brain-training/id1608490212/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unciphered-cryptogram-puzzle/id6802225274/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **138** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 83.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 73 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SmartFriends B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1036798547) | [Ahmed ElGhoroury](https://appshunter.io/developer/6802225276) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartFriends

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfriends-brain-training/id1608490212)

Engage in daily brain training challenges with friends to boost cognitive skills. Compete in IQ tests covering logic, spatial reasoning, and number sequences. Track progress and climb leaderboards in a fun, competitive environment.

**Highlights:** Daily IQ challenges, Logic puzzles, Spatial reasoning tests, Number sequence problems, Leaderboard competition, Score sharing

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Special Offer! | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $4.49 | per month |
| Free Trial \| Premium Monthly | $4.49 | per month |
| Premium Special Offer! | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Free Trial \| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| 3 x genius challenges | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 x genius challenges | $2.49 | one-time |
| Tip 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip 3 | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Daily brain workout
- 💡 Challenging puzzles
- 🤔 Makes you think outside the box
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable
- 🚀 Quick brain check

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive advertisements
- 📉 Puzzles sometimes lack logic
- 🖼️ Unclear graphics/faint colors
- 🤔 Puzzles can be too difficult
- 🔄 Repetitive questions

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading puzzles
- Diagrams not accessible with screen readers
- Glitchy when enlarging challenge images
- Issues with lifetime access purchases
- Landscape mode for larger images when app is portrait only

**Requested features**

- Fix advertisements interrupting gameplay
- Improve puzzle logic and presentation
- Enhance graphics clarity (e.g., yellow on white)
- Make puzzles more varied and adult-oriented
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired users (diagram descriptions)


### Unciphered

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unciphered-cryptogram-puzzle/id6802225274)

Decode hidden proverbs by solving cryptograms where letters correspond to numbers. Solve crossword-style clues to reveal letters that fill in the entire puzzle. Enjoy daily puzzles, track your progress, and collect solved wisdom.

**Highlights:** Daily cryptogram puzzles, Crossword-style clue solving, Offline play, Progress tracking, Journal of solved proverbs, Accessibility features

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins 100 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coins 350 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Premium chapters | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coins 800 | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartFriends free?

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

### Is Unciphered free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmartFriends or Unciphered?

Unciphered is rated higher. SmartFriends averages 4.6 out of 5 from 138 ratings, while Unciphered averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do SmartFriends or Unciphered have ads?

SmartFriends shows ads; Unciphered does not.

### Which is updated more often, SmartFriends or Unciphered?

SmartFriends ships an update every 2 weeks, and Unciphered every 6 days. Most recently, SmartFriends was updated on October 17, 2026 and Unciphered on October 10, 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.*