# Cipher Master vs Words & Books

The clearest difference is ads: Words & Books at none against Cipher Master's shown. Words & Books also leads on review sentiment (40% vs 25%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Cipher Master's advantage is ratings volume (6.1K vs 359) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cipher Master sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Words & Books sells 18 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Words & Books holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cipher Master has 6.1K ratings behind it against 359, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Cipher Master's written reviews are positive against 40% of Words & Books's.

Cipher Master ships an update monthly, Words & Books every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cipher Master | Words & Books |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (6.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-master-word-game/id1673410546/reviews) | **[4.7 (359 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-and-books-code-quest/id6736644953/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.1K** | 359 |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 242 MB | 303 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hitapps Games LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1648314473) | [Matryoshka Games (CY) LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530009343) |

## What reviewers say

### Cipher Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-master-word-game/id1673410546)

Engage your mind with a new word puzzle game. Decipher hidden phrases, learn interesting facts, and enjoy wise thoughts from famous people. This game offers a fun way to train your brain, practice logic, and expand your knowledge.

**Highlights:** Decipher hidden phrases, Learn interesting facts, Solve word riddles, Train your brain, Practice logic, Discover wise thoughts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small pack of energy | $3.29 | one-time |
| Small pack of hints | $3.49 | one-time |
| No ADS | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big pack of energy | $5.49 | one-time |
| Big pack of hints | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and challenging game
- 💡 Interesting quotations and proverbs
- 👍 Large and easy-to-use letter squares

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and disruptive ads during gameplay
- 🐛 Glitches with letter selection and scoring
- 🤔 Puzzles too easy for experienced players

**Reported bugs**

- Letters not registering properly
- Incorrect scoring and game over issues
- Ads not respecting device sound settings

**Requested features**

- Reduce ad frequency and disruption
- Provide an ad-free paid version
- Increase puzzle difficulty for more experienced users


### Words & Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-and-books-code-quest/id6736644953)

Engage your mind with a unique blend of word puzzles, cryptograms, and logic challenges. Decode famous quotes, expand your vocabulary, and enjoy an uninterrupted, educational gaming experience suitable for all ages.

**Highlights:** Decode famous quotes, Cryptogram challenges, Logic puzzles, Vocabulary enrichment, Intuitive gameplay, Varied difficulty levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoAds Pack! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| NoAds Pack! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| NoAds Pack! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $6.99 | one-time |
| NoAds Pack! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $14.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Excellent game to keep mind sharp
- 👍 Definitely challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Too many ads
- 🐛 Janky typing interface causes errors
- 🐛 Numbers are hard to see

**Reported bugs**

- Ad-free version still has ads
- No response from support

**Requested features**

- Add French language support
- Auto-populate letter/number combinations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cipher Master free?

Cipher Master is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Words & Books free?

Words & Books is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cipher Master or Words & Books?

Words & Books is rated higher. Cipher Master averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.1K ratings, while Words & Books averages 4.7 from 359 ratings.

### Do Cipher Master or Words & Books have ads?

Cipher Master shows ads; Words & Books does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cipher Master or Words & Books?

Cipher Master ships an update monthly, and Words & Books every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cipher Master was updated on September 24, 2026 and Words & Books on September 23, 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.*