# Hacktivate vs Opcodes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Opcodes at free against Hacktivate's free with in-app purchases. Opcodes also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). Hacktivate's advantage is ratings volume (33 vs 6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacktivate sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Opcodes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Opcodes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacktivate has 33 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Hacktivate ships an update weekly, Opcodes every 8 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacktivate | Opcodes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacktivate-capture-the-flag/id6748286602/reviews) | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opcodes-retro-cpu-reference/id6760205834/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **33** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 88.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 184 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hudson Heavy Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727337256) | [John Kennedy](https://appshunter.io/developer/284943103) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacktivate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacktivate-capture-the-flag/id6748286602)

Engage in a cybersecurity challenge with 240 missions across a global map, utilizing real hacking techniques. Learn skills from basic ciphers to advanced firewalls, with tutorials and scalable difficulty.

**Highlights:** 240 graded cybersecurity missions, Real-world hacking techniques, Hacker's Toolbox (hashing, encryption, ciphers), Global progression across continents, Comprehensive tutorials and documentation, Scalable difficulty for all levels, Cross-device sync (iPhone, iPad, Mac)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hint Packet | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hint Payload | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hint Overload | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Campaign | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great set of puzzles
- 👍 Fun and educational
- 👍 Brain-building
- 👍 Great idea, great implementation
- 👍 Great game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 The price of the full game

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 Useless but paid-for hint system

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option


### Opcodes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opcodes-retro-cpu-reference/id6760205834)

This app provides a comprehensive reference for retro CPU opcodes, including detailed descriptions, assembly examples, and historical context. It covers eighteen iconic processors and offers features like search, sorting, and filtering for easy exploration of historical computing information.

**Highlights:** Opcode reference for 18 iconic processors, Detailed instruction descriptions, Hex, octal, decimal values, Flags affected, addressing modes, cycle counts, Assembly code examples, CPU history and pinout diagrams, Simple assembler/disassembler

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy Me a Coffee | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacktivate free?

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

### Is Opcodes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Hacktivate or Opcodes?

Opcodes is rated higher. Hacktivate averages 4.7 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Opcodes averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do Hacktivate or Opcodes have ads?

Neither Hacktivate nor Opcodes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacktivate or Opcodes?

Hacktivate ships an update weekly, and Opcodes every 8 days. Most recently, Hacktivate was updated on November 5, 2026 and Opcodes on November 5, 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.*