# Cracking the Cryptic vs A

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.

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.

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.

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, A every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cracking the Cryptic | A |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934/reviews) | **[4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-puzzle-a-day/id1633017175/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **208** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **72.1% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 234 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nick Carney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434235673) | [Matematikkbolgen AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633017177) |

## What reviewers say

### Cracking the Cryptic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CTC Worms - James Sinclair | $0.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Marty Sears | $0.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Zetamath | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Blobz | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Phistomefel | $1.99 | one-time |
| GAS Volume #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| GAS Volume #2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| CTC Approachable Sudoku #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Domino Sudoku Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lines Variety Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Classic Volume #2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| CTC Fog Pack #1 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best sudoku app
- 👍 Great variety of puzzles
- 👍 Excellent user interface
- 👍 Challenging and fun puzzles
- 👍 Constant updates with new puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Hints are often incorrect or unhelpful
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes, especially after updates
- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🔒 Too many in-app purchases required to access content

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-puzzle-a-day/id1633017175)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3x Time machine passes | $0.99 | one-time |
| 100 coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 300 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 10 Time machine passes | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1000 coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Booster Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Puzzle Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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 18, 2026 and A on October 17, 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.*