Comparison

5 Second Rule vs Decoder Ring · Secret Codes

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

5 Second Rule

Test your quick thinking and reaction time with this fast-paced party game. Players have five seconds to provide three answers to a posed question, aiming to be the first to reach ten correct answers. Features multiple question decks, unlimited participants, and the ability to create custom questions.

Highlights
  • 5-second answer challenges
  • 12 question decks
  • Unlimited participants
  • Create custom questions
  • Simple and convenient interface
  • Play anywhere, anytime
Features
Read full description

5 Seconds is an exciting and fun game that tests your thinking speed and reaction. The rules are quite simple: • A question is posed to the player, and they have 5 seconds to come up with 3 answers before time runs out. • The winner is the player who first gives 10 correct answers! In this app, you’ll be able to: • Use 12 decks containing various questions. • Play with an unlimited number of participants. • Create your own unique questions and add them to the game. • Enjoy a simple and convenient interface that allows you to play anywhere and anytime. Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your iTunes will automatically be charged at the same price for renewal, as stated above, within 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription period. You can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your iTunes Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/myappinfo1/privacy-policy Terms of use: https://sites.google.com/view/myappinfo/terms-of-use

About

Decoder Ring · Secret Codes

Features
Read full description

Decoder Ring turns any message into a secret code only your friends can crack. Type what you want to say, tap Encode, and share the gibberish to any chat app. Your friend pastes it back in, taps Decode, and reads your real message. No accounts, no servers, no one else can read it. HOW IT WORKS Every word in your message is looked up in a shared dictionary and replaced with a word based on your cipher number. "hello" becomes "hematologist." Your friend's app shifts it back using the same cipher number to recover "hello." Punctuation, emoji, and names pass through untouched. FOR EVERYONE • Encode or decode any text instantly • Preserves capitalization, punctuation, and emoji • Share directly to Messages, Mail, or any chat app • Beautiful light and dark modes UPGRADE TO PLUS • Change your secret cipher number — pick any number from 1 to 10,000 • Switch between multiple word dictionaries, including British and American English • No ads ADD CONTACTS Save up to ten friends or group chats, each with their own cipher number and dictionary. One tap translates for a specific person — no more setting the dial by hand. AUTO-SHIFT Give each contact a living cipher. Their cipher number bumps by one every day, so yesterday's code is already stale. Perfect for ongoing games, daily challenges, or just making a spy thriller out of your group chat. Enable the companion watch app for synchronizing instant cipher number changes. POLYGLOT (COMING SOON) Take it further — translate the shifted word into Spanish, French, or German before sending. The recipient's app reverses both steps. PRIVACY YOU CAN SEE Decoder Ring runs entirely on your device. There are no accounts to create and no servers to trust. We don't collect, sync, or transmit your messages. The word list lives in the app bundle; everything else lives in your phone's private storage. NOT REAL ENCRYPTION — JUST FUN Decoder Ring is a toy cipher, not a security product. Anyone who knows your cipher number and dictionary can decode your messages. Don't use it for anything you actually need to keep private. QUESTIONS? Email support@decoderring.app Privacy Policy: https://decoderring.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://decoderring.app/terms

Screenshots

5 Second Rule4 screens
Decoder Ring · Secret Codes3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: 5 Second Rule at 15.0 against Decoder Ring · Secret Codes's 26.4. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. 5 Second Rule sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and Decoder Ring · Secret Codes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

5 Second Rule ships an update monthly, Decoder Ring · Secret Codes every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
5 Second Rule versus Decoder Ring · Secret Codes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter5 Second RuleDecoder Ring · Secret Codes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (74 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings74 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size159 MB16 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperAnton DziahelBRUCE HOWARD WOLFSON

In-app purchases

2 purchases

5 Second Rule

Subscriptions2
  • 5 Second Battle Rule Game3 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • 5 Second Rule Party Game Cards3 Days trial$6.997 Days
3 purchases

Decoder Ring · Secret Codes

Subscriptions1
  • Decoder Ring Auto-Shift$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Decoder Ring Plus$2.99
  • Decoder Ring Contacts$4.99

Questions

Is 5 Second Rule free?
5 Second Rule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Decoder Ring · Secret Codes free?
Decoder Ring · Secret Codes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do 5 Second Rule or Decoder Ring · Secret Codes have ads?
Both 5 Second Rule and Decoder Ring · Secret Codes show ads.
Which is updated more often, 5 Second Rule or Decoder Ring · Secret Codes?
5 Second Rule ships an update monthly, and Decoder Ring · Secret Codes every 5 weeks. Most recently, 5 Second Rule was updated on November 12, 2026 and Decoder Ring · Secret Codes on November 5, 2026.

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