Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs A

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cracking the Cryptic

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
Read full description

OUR NEWEST PACK – CLASSIC VOLUME #2! Classic sudoku is where it all began, and there is still lots of skill to be deployed to solve classic puzzles, and new techniques to be explored. Nikoli, the Japanese puzzle house, named and popularised sudoku from 1984, and we have commissioned 20 puzzles from them for this Classic Sudoku 2 app. We have also created 20 ourselves, and sourced 20 more from Sam Cappleman-Lynes, the brilliant British sudoku expert. The result is a wonderful 60-puzzle pack which will delight and challenge you. -------------------- Welcome to the brand new Sudoku app from the most popular Sudoku channel, Cracking The Cryptic. Unlike other Sudoku apps, we feature handcrafted and curated puzzles from the world’s best Sudoku constructors. Each collection features puzzles made by various authors that are now familiar names to those who follow the channel. Authors like Phistomefel, Clover, Sam Cappleman-Lynes, Christoph Seeliger, Richard Stolk, jovi_al, Qodec, Prasanna Seshadri and of course, Simon and Mark! Downloading Cracking the Cryptic will give you access to our first free collection – a variety pack by Prasanna Seshadri featuring 7 puzzles inspired from our previous Sudoku apps; Sandwich, Classic, Chess, Thermo, Miracle, Killer and Arrow Sudoku. We also have purchasable packs designed for all skill levels and featuring many unique variants not seen previously. We’ll be releasing more free and paid packs in the future so keep an eye on the app for more Sudoku content from Cracking The Cryptic!

About

A

A daily logic puzzle where you arrange pieces to form the current date. Earn in-game currency to unlock new sets and use special passes to solve past dates. Offers a premium version for extended date access.

Highlights
  • Daily date puzzle
  • Earn dragon-coins and trophies
  • Buy custom puzzle sets
  • Use hint tickets
  • Solve past dates with time machine passes
  • Save solutions
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

This is the official app by the inventors of the original A-Puzzle-A-Day, DragonFjord's internationally best-selling puzzle. Just place the 8 pieces into the calendar frame to make today's date. Every day is possible! This app is loaded with great features: • Win dragon-coins and trophies for your solutions • Use your coins to buy custom sets – 30 to choose from! • Need a hint? You've got hint tickets! • Miss a day? Use time machine passes to solve for yesterday! • Save your solutions in the solution bank! • Choose from 11 different languages on your calendar frame. • Light and dark modes • Earn bonuses for more challenging days • Smooth and intuitive piece movement • Premium version – solve for any date in the past 365 days! Warning: this puzzle is highly addictive!

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
A4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Cracking the Cryptic at 208 against A's 9. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and A sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

A holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 208 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's written reviews are positive against 67% of A's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, A every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus A: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticA
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (208 ratings)4.6 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings208 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB162 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyMatematikkbolgen AS

Customer experience

Cracking the Cryptic

All ratings208 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive72.1%
Neutral13.6%
Negative14.3%

A

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Bugs and requests

Cracking the Cryptic

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

A

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time13
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
Show 10 more
  • CTC Worms - Blobz$1.99
  • CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
  • CTC Worms - Phistomefel$1.99
  • GAS Volume #1$2.99
  • GAS Volume #2$2.99
  • CTC Approachable Sudoku #1$2.99
  • Domino Sudoku Pack$4.99
  • Lines Variety Pack$4.99
  • Classic Volume #2$4.99
  • CTC Fog Pack #1$4.99
8 purchases

A

One-time8
  • 3x Time machine passes$0.99
  • 100 coins$1.99
  • 300 coins$2.99
Show 5 more
  • 10 Time machine passes$2.99
  • 1000 coins$3.99
  • Booster Pack$4.99
  • Premium$5.99
  • Puzzle Bundle$19.99

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is A free?
A is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or A?
A is rated higher. Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while A averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or A have ads?
Neither Cracking the Cryptic nor A shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or A?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and A every 5 weeks. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on October 14, 2026 and A on October 17, 2026.

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