Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Peg Solitaire

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

Peg Solitaire

Features
Read full description

Jump. Remove. Repeat until one peg remains. Peg Solitaire — Brainvita to millions of players — is one of the oldest board puzzles still worth playing. A peg jumps straight over its neighbour into an empty hole, and the peg it jumped over is removed. Keep going until only one is left. Simple to learn, and unforgiving in the best way: three careless jumps can strand a peg in a corner with nothing to leap over. WHAT MAKES THIS VERSION DIFFERENT Every layout here was built backwards, from a single peg, by replaying legal moves in reverse. That means the solution is not something we hope exists — it is how the board was made. Every one of the 150 layouts can be cleared to exactly one peg, and each one was replayed forward to prove it before shipping. WHAT YOU GET • Five classic boards: Cross, Square, English, French and Diamond • 150 layouts, from four gentle pegs up to a full 29-peg board • Legal destinations highlighted as soon as you pick up a peg • Unlimited undo, instant restart, and a hint that shows a move that still leads to a solution • Fully offline — no account, no interruptions Premium unlocks all 150 layouts and unlimited hints. The first 15 are free. Available in 10 languages. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dijitalpilot.com/privacy

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Peg Solitaire4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Cracking the Cryptic at 13.0 against Peg Solitaire's 17.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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 10 one-off in-app purchases and Peg Solitaire sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Peg Solitaire monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Peg Solitaire: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticPeg Solitaire
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (211 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings211 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyDIJITAL PILOT REKLAM SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI

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

Peg Solitaire

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time10
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 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
3 purchases

Peg Solitaire

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Premium$1.997 Days
  • Monthly Premium$3.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium3 Days trial$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Peg Solitaire free?
Peg Solitaire is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Peg Solitaire have ads?
Neither Cracking the Cryptic nor Peg Solitaire shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Peg Solitaire?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Peg Solitaire monthly. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on November 7, 2026 and Peg Solitaire on October 31, 2026.

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