# Cipher Challenge vs Cipher Grid

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cipher Challenge at none against Cipher Grid's 2. Cipher Grid's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cipher Grid sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.90 per month. Cipher Challenge asks for nothing beyond the download.

Cipher Challenge ships an update every 5 weeks, Cipher Grid every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cipher Challenge | Cipher Grid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bao Lei](https://appshunter.io/developer/376966834) | [Francois Van Malleghem](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892359058) |

## 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 Grid

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-grid/id6761995739)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cipher Grid Pro | $0.90 | per month |
| Cipher Grid Pro | $9.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cipher Challenge free?

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

### Is Cipher Grid free?

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

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

Neither Cipher Challenge nor Cipher Grid shows ads.

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

Cipher Challenge ships an update every 5 weeks, and Cipher Grid every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cipher Challenge was updated on September 29, 2026 and Cipher Grid on September 10, 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.*