Phrase Quest vs Cipher Grid
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phrase Quest
Decode cryptic symbols to reveal hidden messages in this engaging word game. Enjoy flexible gameplay with seamless orientation changes and intelligent word wrapping. A custom keyboard aids in your symbol selection.
- Translate symbols into messages
- Seamless landscape and portrait rotation
- Intelligent word wrapping
- Custom informative keyboard
- Shake to restart level
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Translate symbols into hidden messages. Embark on a Phrase Quest in Any Orientation! Our Word Game Delights with Seamless Landscape and Portrait Rotations. Intelligent Word Wraps ensure proper word wrapping. A custom informative keyboard is designed to enhance your selection process. If you wish to restart a level when you are part way through working on it, simply shake your phone.
Cipher Grid
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A new secret message to crack. Every single day. Cipher Grid is a daily puzzle game where you decode real encrypted messages using actual historical ciphers. Each puzzle is a quote hidden behind a different code. Your job is to figure out the letters and reveal it. DAILY PUZZLE One new challenge every day. Each day uses a different cipher and difficulty, so no two days feel the same. 18 CIPHERS TO DECODE Caesar. Atbash. ROT13. Morse. Vigenère. Playfair. Semaphore. Maritime Flags. And more. Each one is a real encryption method used throughout history — from ancient scribes to World War spies to modern radio operators. LEARN AS YOU PLAY Built-in lessons explain every cipher from the ground up. No prior knowledge needed. Start as a complete beginner and work your way to mastering techniques used by real cryptographers. ENCRYPT AND DECRYPT A full toolkit covering 22 ciphers, free for everyone. Includes a working Enigma I simulator with configurable rotors, reflector, ring settings, and plugboard, plus the Hill matrix cipher. ZODIAC CHALLENGE A separate set of hand-picked puzzles to solve at your own pace. Free. PRO Unlock unlimited practice puzzles and Secure Message — public-key encrypted messages and photos that only the intended recipient can decrypt. Keys live on your device. Share the envelope as text or QR code, no servers involved. Every future feature added to the app is included. PRIVACY FIRST No accounts. No analytics. No tracking. No ads. Everything stays on your device. Available in English, French, German, Dutch, and Chinese. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://gist.github.com/ColdCompile/cf9b3ec7bc1f95c6379477e4bd097cf9
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Phrase Quest at none against Cipher Grid's 2. Cipher Grid's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. Cipher Grid sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.90 per month. Phrase Quest asks for nothing beyond the download.
Phrase Quest ships an update every 2 months, Cipher Grid every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phrase Quest | Cipher Grid |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 41 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dogfish Technologies, LLC | Francois Van Malleghem |
In-app purchases
Phrase Quest
No in-app purchases
Cipher Grid
- Cipher Grid Pro$0.901 Month
- Cipher Grid Pro$9.001 Year
Questions
Is Phrase Quest free?
Is Cipher Grid free?
Do Phrase Quest or Cipher Grid have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phrase Quest or Cipher Grid?
Other comparisons
