# Memrise vs Cryptic Coach

The clearest difference is ads: Cryptic Coach at none against Memrise's shown. Cryptic Coach also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 68%). Memrise's advantage is ratings volume (217K vs 2) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Memrise sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Cryptic Coach sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Memrise holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Memrise has 217K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Memrise's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cryptic Coach's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Memrise ships an update fortnightly, Cryptic Coach weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Memrise | Cryptic Coach |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (217K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memrise-language-learning-app/id635966718/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-coach/id6756299022/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **217K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 68.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#156** | — |
| Size | 238 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Memrise Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/506043249) | [TEGS LABS LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1859935083) |

## What reviewers say

### Memrise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/memrise-language-learning-app/id635966718)

**Currently charting:** #156 Top Grossing · Education, #181 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

Learn over 40 languages through immersive lessons that simulate real-life conversations and cultural experiences. Practice vocabulary, listening, and speaking with AI-powered bots and native speaker videos to build confidence and speak like a local.

**Highlights:** Real-life conversation simulation, Cultural insights, Vocabulary and listening practice, Speaking practice with AI, Native speaker videos, Learn over 40 languages

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Language Learning Plan | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Language Learning Plan | $24.99 | per month |
| 3-Month Language Learning Plan | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| 30% off Annual Memrise Pro | $42.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $58.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $59.99 | per month |
| Annual Language Learning Plan | $61.99 | per year |
| Memrise Annual Pro | $61.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $61.99 | per year |
| Memrise Subscription Offer | $79.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plan Offer | $98.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan Offer | $131.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan Offer | $164.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Plan | $329.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for learning basics
- 👍 Engaging and fun learning experience
- 👍 Effective memorization techniques
- 👍 Useful for supplementing language learning
- 👍 Variety of languages available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription is too expensive
- 🔒 Limited functionality without subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches in the app
- 🤖 AI conversations are not very helpful
- 🤔 Transition from basics to more advanced content is too abrupt

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes during lessons
- Inconsistent performance across devices
- Issues with syncing progress across devices
- Incorrect translations or pronunciations in some courses

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced content and courses
- Improve AI conversation feature
- Allow more control over review and repetition
- Provide offline access to courses
- Improve search and discovery of community courses


### Cryptic Coach

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-coach/id6756299022)

Master cryptic crosswords with structured lessons and practice puzzles. Solve daily clues with video explanations and access a vault of past puzzles. Submit your own clues to join the community.

**Highlights:** Structured lessons, Curated practice puzzles, Daily clue with video explanation, Vault of past daily clues, Submit your own clues, Community solving

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Membership | $8.99 | per month |
| Yearly Membership | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Memrise free?

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

### Is Cryptic Coach free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Memrise or Cryptic Coach?

Memrise is rated higher. Memrise averages 4.8 out of 5 from 217K ratings, while Cryptic Coach averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Memrise or Cryptic Coach have ads?

Memrise shows ads; Cryptic Coach does not.

### Which is updated more often, Memrise or Cryptic Coach?

Memrise ships an update fortnightly, and Cryptic Coach weekly. Most recently, Memrise was updated on October 17, 2026 and Cryptic Coach on October 9, 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.*