# Simon Tatham's Puzzles vs Cracking the Cryptic

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Simon Tatham's Puzzles at none against Cracking the Cryptic's 13. Simon Tatham's Puzzles also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (95% vs 72%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Simon Tatham's Puzzles asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simon Tatham's Puzzles holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 220 and 210 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Simon Tatham's Puzzles's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's.

Simon Tatham's Puzzles ships an update every 2 weeks, Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simon Tatham's Puzzles | Cracking the Cryptic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (220 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simon-tathams-puzzles/id622220631/reviews)** | [4.4 (210 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **220** | 210 |
| Positive reviews | **94.6% of reviews** | 72.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 234 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Greg Hewgill](https://appshunter.io/developer/517923493) | [Nick Carney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434235673) |

## What reviewers say

### Simon Tatham's Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simon-tathams-puzzles/id622220631)

Explore a diverse collection of 38 engaging single-player puzzle games designed for mobile devices. Enjoy a wide variety of challenges, from logic and spatial reasoning to pattern recognition and strategy.

**Highlights:** 38 single-player puzzle games, Variety of puzzle types, Logic and strategy challenges, Spatial reasoning puzzles, Pattern recognition games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great variety of puzzles
- 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Simple, intuitive interface
- 👍 Customizable difficulty levels
- 👍 Offline playability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with iOS 14
- 👎 Lack of zoom/scaling options
- 👎 Reliance on long-press controls can be awkward
- 👎 Some puzzles not as intuitive on mobile

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup with iOS 14
- Filling/marking not working properly in some puzzles

**Requested features**

- Zoom/scaling options for larger puzzles
- Alternative control schemes (e.g. tap-to-flag)
- Inclusion of all puzzles from desktop version


### Cracking the Cryptic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cracking-the-cryptic/id1629992934)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CTC Worms - James Sinclair | $0.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Marty Sears | $0.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Zetamath | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Blobz | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz | $1.99 | one-time |
| CTC Worms - Phistomefel | $1.99 | one-time |
| GAS Volume #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| GAS Volume #2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| CTC Approachable Sudoku #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Domino Sudoku Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lines Variety Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Classic Volume #2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| CTC Fog Pack #1 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best sudoku app
- 👍 Great variety of puzzles
- 👍 Excellent user interface
- 👍 Challenging and fun puzzles
- 👍 Constant updates with new puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Hints are often incorrect or unhelpful
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes, especially after updates
- 🔋 Battery draining issues
- 🔒 Too many in-app purchases required to access content

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simon Tatham's Puzzles free?

Simon Tatham's Puzzles is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cracking the Cryptic free?

Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Simon Tatham's Puzzles or Cracking the Cryptic?

Simon Tatham's Puzzles is rated higher. Simon Tatham's Puzzles averages 4.8 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 from 210 ratings.

### Do Simon Tatham's Puzzles or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?

Neither Simon Tatham's Puzzles nor Cracking the Cryptic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simon Tatham's Puzzles or Cracking the Cryptic?

Simon Tatham's Puzzles ships an update every 2 weeks, and Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. Most recently, Simon Tatham's Puzzles was updated on October 15, 2026 and Cracking the Cryptic on October 20, 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.*