# Cryptic Writings vs Cryptograms

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cryptic Writings at none against Cryptograms's 3. Cryptic Writings also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). Cryptograms's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 5 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptograms sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Cryptic Writings asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cryptic Writings ships an update every 5 months, Cryptograms daily. The most recent releases landed on December 30, 2025 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptic Writings | Cryptograms |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptograms-word-puzzles/id6743766631/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **64** |
| Positive reviews | — | 73.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 61 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lavish Software Solutions SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795329843) | [Frostbyte Entertainment LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1772009662) |

## What reviewers say

### Cryptic Writings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-writings/id6741738248)

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cryptograms

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptograms-word-puzzles/id6743766631)

Engage in challenging cryptogram puzzles that test your code-breaking and vocabulary skills. Decode encoded messages, from famous quotes to witty phrases, by spotting patterns and unraveling hidden language. Offers progressive difficulty and a helpful hint system for an engaging experience.

**Highlights:** Classic cryptogram puzzles, Modern, intuitive interface, Progressive difficulty levels, Helpful hint system, Logical thinking exercises, Vocabulary enhancement

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 Hints + 20 Magnets | $1.99 | one-time |
| 50 Hints + 50 Magnets | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ad Free | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptic Writings free?

Cryptic Writings is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cryptograms free?

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

### Do Cryptic Writings or Cryptograms have ads?

Cryptograms shows ads; Cryptic Writings does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptic Writings or Cryptograms?

Cryptic Writings ships an update every 5 months, and Cryptograms daily. Most recently, Cryptic Writings was updated on December 30, 2025 and Cryptograms on September 19, 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.*