Cracking the Cryptic vs Spellist
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Handcrafted Sudoku puzzles
- Curated by expert constructors
- Classic and unique variants
- Regularly released puzzle packs
- Free introductory puzzle pack
Read full descriptionHide 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!
Spellist
Engage in a vibrant word puzzle game with hundreds of offline boards and competitive multiplayer challenges. Test your vocabulary and strategic thinking in this fast-paced twist on classic word searches.
- Hundreds of offline word puzzle boards
- Quick-fire 4x4 to complex 6x6 grids
- Global real-time PvP multiplayer
- Leaderboards for competitive ranking
- Live event feed for real-time action
- Scheduled live multiplayer rounds
Read full descriptionHide full description
**Unleash Your Inner Wordsmith** Dive into the mystical world of **Spellist**, where every letter counts and every path makes magic. Spellist offers a fresh-faced, fast-paced, vibrant twist on the classic grid word search. **Solo Mastery** Hone your skills with hundreds of curated offline boards. Ranging from 4x4 quick-fire grids to complex 6x6 challenges, there’s always a new puzzle to solve. Can you find every word and rack up the bonus stars? **Massive Multiplayer Arena (PvP)** Think you’re the best? Prove it. Subscribe to enter the global arena where you compete simultaneously against Spellists from around the world. Same board, same clock, one winner. - **Leaderboards**: See how you fared agaist Spellists playing along with you. - **Thrillfeed**: Feel the energy of the crowd! Watch as players break records and hit massive bonuses in real-time via the live event feed. Take inspiration to send your own achievements to the world. - **Live Events**: Join massive scheduled rounds and raid the top of the charts.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Cracking the Cryptic at Free against Spellist's $1.99. Cracking the Cryptic also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (208 vs 1). Spellist's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and review sentiment (100% vs 72%). On ads and device support 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
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download; Spellist costs $1.99 up front. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Spellist asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cracking the Cryptic holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cracking the Cryptic has 208 ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of Spellist'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, Spellist every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cracking the Cryptic | Spellist |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.4 (208 ratings) — better | 4.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 208 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 234 MB | 90 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Nick Carney | Oori Data LLC |
Customer experience
Cracking the Cryptic
Spellist
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
Spellist
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Cracking the Cryptic
- CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
- CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
- CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- 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
Spellist
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Is Spellist free?
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Spellist?
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Spellist have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Spellist?
Other comparisons















