Comparison

GPG Decrypt vs Cipher Message

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GPG Decrypt

Securely decrypt GPG-encrypted files on your iPhone or iPad. Transfer your encrypted documents and private key, then use the app to view sensitive content without permanent storage on your device.

Highlights
  • Decrypt GPG-encrypted files
  • Support for private key authentication
  • Secure file handling
  • Display-only decryption
  • Asymmetric encryption support
Features
Read full description

This app is designed to allow you to read on your iPhone, files that have been encrypted on your Mac using GPG. The workflow is: 1. Encrypt a file on your Mac using GPG (AEAD - Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data, is not supported at the moment, see support page). 2. Transfer the encrypted file and your private key to your iPhone (using iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or any other cloud storage service) 3. Use this app to decrypt and view the file content on your iPhone This is particularly useful for securely accessing sensitive documents on your iPhone without storing the decrypted content permanently on the device. Features - Decrypt GPG-encrypted files - Support for private key authentication - Secure file handling with security-scoped resources - Display-only decryption (no persistent storage of decrypted content) Usage 1. Select the encrypted file you want to decrypt 2. Select your private key file 3. Enter the passphrase for your private key 4. Tap "Decrypt" to decrypt the file 5. The decrypted content will be displayed on screen. It is not saved to your device. GPG ([GNU Privacy Guard](https://gnupg.org/)) is a widely used open-source implementation of the OpenPGP standard. This app only supports asymmetric encryption (public/private key). It cannot decrypt files that were encrypted using symmetric encryption (password-only encryption). Using GPG on Mac OS - Install GnuPG: brew install gnupg - Generate a new GPG key: gpg --full-generate-key - Choose option 1 (RSA and RSA) - Choose 4096 bits - Choose 0 (key does not expire) - Enter your name and email - Enter a secure passphrase - Export your private key (required for decryption on iPhone): gpg --export-secret-keys --armor your-email@example.com > private_key.asc - Replace `your-email@example.com` with the email you used when creating the key - Enter your passphrase when prompted - The private key will be saved to `private_key.asc` - Transfer this file to your iPhone for use with the app - Encrypting a file: gpg --encrypt --recipient your-email@example.com your_file.txt - This creates `your_file.txt.gpg` - Transfer this encrypted file to your iPhone for decryption with the app Decrypting a file on Mac: gpg --decrypt your_file.txt.gpg > decrypted_file.txt - This will prompt for your private key passphrase - The decrypted content will be saved to `decrypted_file.txt` Transferring files to iPhone You can transfer the encrypted file and private key to your iPhone using various cloud storage services: - iCloud Drive - Dropbox - Google Drive - OneDrive - Or any other cloud storage service that provides iOS file access Security - All file operations use security-scoped resources - Passphrase is never stored - Files are copied to the app's documents directory for processing - Decrypted content is only displayed and not saved to the device - No persistent storage of sensitive information

About

Cipher Message

Easily encrypt and decrypt messages within your messaging app using various classic ciphers. Protect your conversations with friends and upgrade for advanced encryption methods and Face ID unlock.

Highlights
  • Encrypt/decrypt in iMessage
  • Classic ciphers (Caesar, Vigenère)
  • Advanced ciphers (AES)
  • Face ID unlock
  • Private conversations
Read full description

Cipher Message is an App and iMessage Extension that lets you easily encrypt and decrypt messages right inside the Messages app. Choose from classic ciphers like Caesar and Vigenère, Rail Fence, or Playfair to protect your conversations, or upgrade to Premium to enable AES (password) and add Face ID to lock the message. Simply select your cipher, type your message, set your key, and then encrypted and send to your friends. They can decrypt your message using the same extension, keeping your chats private and fun. Features: - Encrypt and decrypt messages directly in iMessage - Supports Caesar, Vigenère, Rail Fence, and Playfair - Easy-to-use interface - Share encrypted messages with friends - Keep your conversations private Upgrade to Premium to enjoy: - No Ads - Additional Ciphers and Encryption Methods: - AES (set your own password) - Face ID Secondary Encryption (disclaimer: does not use FaceID to encrypt, only requires FaceID of recipient to unlock message)

Screenshots

GPG Decrypt4 screens
Cipher Message4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GPG Decrypt at none against Cipher Message's 1. GPG Decrypt also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cipher Message sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GPG Decrypt asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GPG Decrypt ships an update every 3 days, Cipher Message fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GPG Decrypt versus Cipher Message: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGPG DecryptCipher Message
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB21 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperLaurent AchNathaniel Van Evera

Customer experience

GPG Decrypt

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Cipher Message

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

GPG Decrypt

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cipher Message

One-time1
  • Cipher Message Premium$0.99

Questions

Is GPG Decrypt free?
GPG Decrypt is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cipher Message free?
Cipher Message is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GPG Decrypt or Cipher Message have ads?
Cipher Message shows ads; GPG Decrypt does not.
Which is updated more often, GPG Decrypt or Cipher Message?
GPG Decrypt ships an update every 3 days, and Cipher Message fortnightly. Most recently, GPG Decrypt was updated on September 17, 2026 and Cipher Message on June 1, 2026.

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