# Cipher Challenge vs Cipher Command

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cipher Challenge at none against Cipher Command's 5. Cipher Command's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cipher Command sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Cipher Challenge asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cipher Challenge against 5.0 for Cipher Command. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Cipher Challenge's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cipher Command's.

Cipher Challenge ships an update every 5 weeks, Cipher Command every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cipher Challenge | Cipher Command |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-command/id6758640357/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Bao Lei](https://appshunter.io/developer/376966834) | [Daniel McCarthy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1870137437) |

## What reviewers say

### Cipher Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455)

Engage your mind with a variety of cipher decoding challenges. Practice different cipher types, track your progress, and compete with friends. Unlock quotes and sync your achievements across devices.

**Highlights:** Multiple cipher modes, Letter frequency analysis, Multiplayer competition, Unlocked quote gallery, Score history tracking, iCloud sync across devices, Hard mode challenge

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cipher Command

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-command/id6758640357)

Immerse yourself in WWII codebreaking. Decrypt authentic historical messages using real encryption techniques, from Caesar shifts to the Enigma machine. Learn about wartime operations and advance through ranks as you master cryptanalysis.

**Highlights:** Decrypt 7 historical cipher types, 30+ WWII-themed missions, Interactive cipher wheel, Learn historical context, Progress through ranks, Frequency analysis tools

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pacific Theatre | $2.99 | one-time |
| D-Day | $2.99 | one-time |
| Eastern Front | $2.99 | one-time |
| Premium Puzzles | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cold War | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cipher Challenge free?

Cipher Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cipher Command free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cipher Challenge or Cipher Command?

Cipher Challenge and Cipher Command are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Cipher Challenge or Cipher Command have ads?

Neither Cipher Challenge nor Cipher Command shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cipher Challenge or Cipher Command?

Cipher Challenge ships an update every 5 weeks, and Cipher Command every 2 days. Most recently, Cipher Challenge was updated on September 29, 2026 and Cipher Command on September 27, 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.*