# Cipher Challenge vs Emoji Connections

The clearest difference is update cadence: Emoji Connections at daily against Cipher Challenge's every 6 weeks. Emoji Connections also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Cipher Challenge's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Cipher Challenge against 5.0 for Emoji Connections. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively.

Cipher Challenge ships an update every 6 weeks, Emoji Connections daily. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cipher Challenge | Emoji Connections |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emoji-connectionsassociations/id6760810779/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 194 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bao Lei](https://appshunter.io/developer/376966834) | [TidalAurum, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812207293) |

## 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

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Emoji Connections

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emoji-connectionsassociations/id6760810779)

This puzzle game challenges you to sort emoji cards into matching groups. Find the odd one out and solve each row by swapping cards to create categories. Enjoy hundreds of levels with visual puzzles that require no reading.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of levels, Visual emoji cards, Tap-to-swap and drag-to-swap controls, Offline play, Customizable card backs and backgrounds, Move limits for added challenge

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cipher Challenge free?

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

### Is Emoji Connections free?

Emoji Connections is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cipher Challenge or Emoji Connections?

Cipher Challenge and Emoji Connections are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Cipher Challenge or Emoji Connections have ads?

Neither Cipher Challenge nor Emoji Connections shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cipher Challenge or Emoji Connections?

Cipher Challenge ships an update every 6 weeks, and Emoji Connections daily. Most recently, Cipher Challenge was updated on October 26, 2026 and Emoji Connections 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.*