Kryptos Tools vs Cipher Message
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kryptos Tools
This app offers a comprehensive suite of classic cryptography tools, including Vigenère and Transposition ciphers, to help users explore and potentially solve complex puzzles. It consolidates features from previous versions and provides detailed information on famous unsolved codes.
- Classic cipher implementations
- Vigenère cipher
- Transposition Matrix
- Detailed puzzle information
- Sixteen classic ciphers
- Future cipher additions
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Kryptos Tools combines the best features of the previous two apps (Kryptos Tools - Vigenère and Kryptos Tools - Transposition) along with additional details, documents and photos consolidated into one great app. Kryptos Tools includes classic ciphers, like the Vigenère cipher, that was used to encrypt the first two sections of Kryptos (K1 and K2). It also includes the Transposition Matrix which provides a visual implementation of the Transposition cipher for solving Kryptos section K3. Kryptos Tools now contains sixteen (16) classic ciphers: * Affine * Atbash * Beaufort (plus Autokey variant) * Bifid * Caesar * Columnar Transposition * Four-square * Gronsfeld (plus Autokey variant) * Hill * One-Time Pad * Playfair * ROT13 (Rotate-13) * Substitution * Transposition Matrix * Trifid * Vigenère (plus Autokey variant) Additional ciphers and utilities will be added in future releases. Detailed solutions and information about these sections of the puzzle are also detailed within. Kryptos is a sculpture by the American artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in Langley, Virginia. Since the dedication of Kryptos on November 3, 1990, the first three sections have been successfully decrypted. However, the fourth section remains one of the most famous unsolved codes in the world. Are you going to be the one to solve this mystery?
Cipher Message
Easily encrypt and decrypt messages within your messaging app using various classic ciphers. Protect your conversations with friends and upgrade for advanced encryption methods and Face ID unlock.
- Encrypt/decrypt in iMessage
- Classic ciphers (Caesar, Vigenère)
- Advanced ciphers (AES)
- Face ID unlock
- Private conversations
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Cipher Message is an App and iMessage Extension that lets you easily encrypt and decrypt messages right inside the Messages app. Choose from classic ciphers like Caesar and Vigenère, Rail Fence, or Playfair to protect your conversations, or upgrade to Premium to enable AES (password) and add Face ID to lock the message. Simply select your cipher, type your message, set your key, and then encrypted and send to your friends. They can decrypt your message using the same extension, keeping your chats private and fun. Features: - Encrypt and decrypt messages directly in iMessage - Supports Caesar, Vigenère, Rail Fence, and Playfair - Easy-to-use interface - Share encrypted messages with friends - Keep your conversations private Upgrade to Premium to enjoy: - No Ads - Additional Ciphers and Encryption Methods: - AES (set your own password) - Face ID Secondary Encryption (disclaimer: does not use FaceID to encrypt, only requires FaceID of recipient to unlock message)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kryptos Tools at none against Cipher Message's 1. Kryptos Tools also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (7 vs 2). Cipher Message's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). 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 Message sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Kryptos Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cipher Message holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively.
Kryptos Tools ships an update monthly, Cipher Message fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kryptos Tools | Cipher Message |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 18.5 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 36 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Jeffrey Williams | Nathaniel Van Evera |
Customer experience
Kryptos Tools
Cipher Message
In-app purchases
Kryptos Tools
No in-app purchases
Cipher Message
- Cipher Message Premium$0.99
Questions
Is Kryptos Tools free?
Is Cipher Message free?
Which has better reviews, Kryptos Tools or Cipher Message?
Do Kryptos Tools or Cipher Message have ads?
Which is updated more often, Kryptos Tools or Cipher Message?
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