# Cryptogram vs Cryptogram Tale

The clearest difference is price: Cryptogram Tale at Free against Cryptogram's $4.99. Cryptogram's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Cryptogram Tale is free to download; Cryptogram costs $4.99 up front. Cryptogram Tale sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Cryptogram asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Cryptogram against 4.6 for Cryptogram Tale. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Cryptogram's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cryptogram Tale's.

Cryptogram ships an update every 2 months, Cryptogram Tale every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptogram | Cryptogram Tale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram/id380210791/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.2K | **1.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **91.1% of reviews** | 72.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#68** | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Norman Basham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1710814251) | [GammaLateral LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/685178329) |

## What reviewers say

### Cryptogram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram/id380210791)

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

Solve encrypted quotes by deciphering letter substitutions. This app offers over 1,900 puzzles with handpicked quotes and helpful features like unlimited hints and quote collection.

**Highlights:** Over 1,900 puzzles, Handpicked quotes, Unlimited hints, Quote Book for collecting, Search and share quotes, Light and dark mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Well-designed app for iPad
- 📚 Excellent selection of puzzles
- 🎨 Exceptional visual design
- 👍 Enjoyable and relaxing solving experience
- 🧠 Challenging and brain-stimulating

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Background can be distracting for some
- 🔤 Difficulty with accented letters in author names
- 🔁 Repeated puzzles for frequent players

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch for some users
- Sharing features not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to mark/cross off used letters
- Option to turn off timer
- Harder and longer puzzles
- Puzzles in other languages


### Cryptogram Tale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749)

Decode encrypted messages to reveal hidden stories. This word puzzle game challenges you to break codes by substituting letters, offering hundreds of tales and thousands of cryptograms to solve. Customize your experience with various fonts and color schemes, and use hints when needed.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of tales, Thousands of cryptograms, Dozens of fonts, Different color schemes, In-game hints

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get 30 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Get 70 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Hundreds of cryptograms
- 📚 Interesting stories and literature
- 👍 No ads unless you want a hint
- 💡 Hints available by watching ads
- 🔒 No glitches or annoying ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔍 Difficulty level not always clear
- 🔍 Capitalized words revealed after first letter
- 🔍 Some stories not well-suited for cryptograms
- 🔍 Ads can't always be closed

**Reported bugs**

- Progress getting deleted
- Ads not loading properly
- Keyboard not opening automatically

**Requested features**

- More modern and diverse stories
- Ability to choose story titles
- Cursor that skips to next blank space
- Undo button
- Trigger warnings for dark/disturbing content


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptogram free?

Cryptogram costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cryptogram Tale free?

Cryptogram Tale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cryptogram or Cryptogram Tale?

Cryptogram is rated higher. Cryptogram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Cryptogram Tale averages 4.6 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do Cryptogram or Cryptogram Tale have ads?

Cryptogram Tale shows ads; Cryptogram does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptogram or Cryptogram Tale?

Cryptogram ships an update every 2 months, and Cryptogram Tale every 3 months. Most recently, Cryptogram was updated on September 28, 2026 and Cryptogram Tale on September 28, 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.*