Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Spellist

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

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Spellist3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Spellist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticSpellist
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.4 (208 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings208 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB90 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperNick CarneyOori Data LLC

Customer experience

Cracking the Cryptic

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

Spellist

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 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

Spellist

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

Spellist

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spellist free?
Spellist costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cracking the Cryptic or Spellist?
Cracking the Cryptic is rated higher. Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while Spellist averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Spellist have ads?
Neither Cracking the Cryptic nor Spellist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Spellist?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Spellist every 5 days. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on October 14, 2026 and Spellist on October 8, 2026.

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