# Red Herring vs The Hangman's Cipher

The clearest difference is ads: The Hangman's Cipher at none against Red Herring's shown. The Hangman's Cipher also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Red Herring's advantage is ratings volume (48K vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and The Hangman's Cipher sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Hangman's Cipher holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, The Hangman's Cipher every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | The Hangman's Cipher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-hangmans-cipher/id6790984905/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 81 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Joshua Bryson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1834514115) |

## What reviewers say

### Red Herring

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265)

Connect words into categories in this fun and challenging puzzle game. Watch out for misleading words designed to throw you off. With multiple difficulty levels and no time limit, it's suitable for all ages.

**Highlights:** Group words into categories, Identify misleading 'Red Herring' words, Challenging and thought-provoking gameplay, No time limit, Three difficulty levels, Daily puzzle

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Curiosity - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Brilliant! - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Allegro - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Spelunking - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Renaissance - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| IQ - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Serendipity - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Older Daily Puzzles 2014 Jul - Dec | $3.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Leap - 175 Puzzles | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤔 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 🧠 Exercises the mind
- ⏰ Good time-passer
- 🎮 Fun and addictive game
- 🎓 Educational and expands vocabulary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🇺🇸 Too American-centric
- 💰 Expensive paid content
- 🚫 Limited free content
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Obscure references and categories

**Reported bugs**

- Formatting issues after updates
- Inability to access previous daily puzzles
- Ads that cannot be dismissed

**Requested features**

- More free daily puzzles
- Less American-focused content
- Dark mode option
- Ability to replay past puzzles
- Hints system improvements


### The Hangman's Cipher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-hangmans-cipher/id6790984905)

A unique word puzzle game that combines classic Hangman with number ciphers and logic. Decode secret phrases across multiple difficulty levels with hand-drawn animations and global leaderboards. Earn daily rewards and choose to watch ads for extra coins.

**Highlights:** Number cipher decoding, Multiple difficulty levels, Daily rewards system, Optional ad-supported coin system, Hand-drawn animations, Global leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 Hc Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 50 Hc Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 99 Hc Coins | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is The Hangman's Cipher free?

The Hangman's Cipher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Red Herring or The Hangman's Cipher?

The Hangman's Cipher is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while The Hangman's Cipher averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Red Herring or The Hangman's Cipher have ads?

Red Herring shows ads; The Hangman's Cipher does not.

### Which is updated more often, Red Herring or The Hangman's Cipher?

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and The Hangman's Cipher every 3 days. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on November 12, 2026 and The Hangman's Cipher on October 31, 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.*