Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Zetamath

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

Zetamath

Sharpen your mental math and sequence identification skills with engaging games. Practice arithmetic and complete number patterns to improve everyday calculations and prepare for exams. Enjoy multiplayer modes and track your progress.

Highlights
  • Arithmetic game
  • Sequences game
  • Customizable difficulty
  • Multiplayer mode
  • Progress tracking
  • Dark mode
Read full description

Keep your mind sharp while elevating your mental math skills with our arithmetic and sequences games. Free to download, Zetamath is your companion to becoming better at everyday calculations, acing the math portions of standardized exams, and studying for quantitative interviews. Core App Features: ARITHMETIC GAME Solve as many mental math arithmetic questions as you can in under 2 minutes. SEQUENCES GAME See if you can identify the missing value to complete the sequence. CUSTOM GAME Customize the difficulty of the arithmetic and sequences games to your liking. MULTIPLAYER Play mental math with your family and friends in a series of fast-paced, multiplayer games. STATISTICS Keep track of your progress and share your high score with friends. DARK MODE Enjoy a comfortable night gaming experience with our beautiful dark theme.

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Zetamath4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Zetamath at 4.9 against Cracking the Cryptic's 4.4. Zetamath also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and review sentiment (100% vs 72%). Cracking the Cryptic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (208 vs 11). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Zetamath asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Zetamath holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 208 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's written reviews are positive against 100% of Zetamath's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Zetamath every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Zetamath: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticZetamath
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (208 ratings)4.9 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings208 — better11
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyAli Hussain

Customer experience

Cracking the Cryptic

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

Zetamath

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Zetamath

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
None

Zetamath

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zetamath free?
Zetamath is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Zetamath?
Zetamath is rated higher. Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while Zetamath averages 4.9 from 11 ratings.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Zetamath have ads?
Zetamath shows ads; Cracking the Cryptic does not.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Zetamath?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Zetamath every 6 days. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on September 26, 2026 and Zetamath on July 8, 2026.

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