Comparison

Crypto String vs PGPony

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

Head to head
About

Crypto String

Features
Read full description

Crypto String is the ultimate secure text encryption app using military-grade AES-256-GCM with authentication. Protect your sensitive information with powerful encryption and Base64 encoding — all 100% offline and private. Core Features • AES-256-GCM Encryption – Military-grade algorithm with custom keys for unique results • Base64 Encode/Decode – Fast and reliable for data transmission and storage • File Import – Directly import text/keys from local files or iCloud Drive • Smart Key Management – Import keys + eye-icon toggle to view/hide safely • History Records – Auto-save last 10 operations with key hints (only first 4 chars) • Multilingual Interface – Automatic language switching • Dark Mode + iOS Native – Built with Apple CryptoKit for maximum security Security First • 100% Local Processing – Nothing uploaded to cloud • No data collection, no accounts, no tracking • Keys never stored in plain text • One-time purchase, no ads, no subscriptions Perfect for protecting passwords, notes, private messages, or business data. Simple, fast, and truly private. Download Crypto String now and encrypt with confidence!

About

PGPony

This app simplifies PGP encryption for users on their iPhone. It allows for key generation, secure message and file encryption/decryption, digital signing, and hardware security key integration. All features are available for free.

Highlights
  • Generate PGP keys
  • Encrypt/decrypt messages and files
  • Sign and verify digital documents
  • Hardware security key integration (YubiKey, Token2)
  • Password-only encryption
  • Key management and revocation
  • Share sheet extension for app integration
Features
Read full description

PGPony makes PGP encryption easy, private, and powerful, and every feature is free. Generate keys, encrypt to people or to a password, sign and verify, back up your whole keyring, and revoke compromised keys, all from your iPhone and iPad, in eight languages. New in 8.3.0: post-quantum signatures, NIST P-256, P-384 and P-521 keys, messages to several post-quantum recipients, and a reorganized Key Detail screen. POST-QUANTUM Encrypt with ML-KEM-768 or ML-KEM-1024 paired with X25519, and sign with ML-DSA-65 paired with Ed25519 (RFC 9980), on RFC 9580 (v6) keys or the v4 shape GnuPG 2.5 reads. Add post-quantum subkeys to a key you already have. HARDWARE SECURITY KEYS Generate a key pair on the card over NFC, or add an existing card with a tap. Sign, decrypt, and encrypt-and-sign in one step, with RSA and ECC (Ed25519/Curve25519) keys, on YubiKey, Token2, and others, over NFC or USB-C. Full card admin: PINs, factory reset, and Card Details. ENCRYPT, DECRYPT & SIGN Encrypt messages and files of any size to one or many public keys, or to a password with no keys at all, readable by gpg -c and back. Pick which subkey to encrypt to when a key has more than one. Decrypt with a private key, a hardware key, or a passphrase, and see which of your keys opened the message. Sign without encrypting, including detached signatures, and verify a file against its signature. GENERATE & MANAGE KEYS Create keys on a card or in-app: post-quantum, v6 Ed25519, classic Ed25519 + Cv25519, or RSA 2048/4096, with or without an email address. Add, revoke, or remove subkeys (including authentication subkeys) and User IDs. Full OpenPGP v6 (RFC 9580), interoperable with Sequoia PGP and GnuPG. Import from files, clipboard, QR codes, or keyservers. Make revocation certificates and export private keys (GnuPG-compatible). BACK UP & RESTORE Save your whole keyring, secret keys included, as one encrypted file. A single backup code opens it, and the same file restores onto another device. The file stays with you, never on anyone's server. KEYSERVERS Look up a recipient by email through Web Key Directory, then key servers. Add your own servers, publish to several at once, and upload an updated key straight from Key Detail. Route lookups through Tor or a SOCKS proxy, or turn on offline mode to stop every network request. PASSWORD STORE Open a pass (password-store) folder, decrypt an entry with a software or hardware key, and copy it through an auto-clearing clipboard. SHARE SHEET EXTENSION Encrypt or decrypt text, encrypt a file, or sign a file in any app: Safari, Files, Notes, Mail. SECURITY FIRST Face ID / Touch ID lock with auto-lock. Software keys live in the iOS Keychain. Keys and messages from outside are checked strictly before they are used. No analytics, tracking, accounts, or sign-up. Your private keys never leave your device, and with a hardware key they never leave the card. EIGHT LANGUAGES English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese. Built by an indie developer who cares about your privacy. Your keys, your messages, your data, always yours. Terms of Use (EULA): https://pgpony.app/eula.html Privacy Policy: https://pgpony.app/privacy.html

Screenshots

Crypto String3 screens
PGPony4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PGPony at Free against Crypto String's $0.99. PGPony also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

PGPony is free to download; Crypto String costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Crypto String ships an update every 4 months, PGPony weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Crypto String versus PGPony: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrypto StringPGPony
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating—4.7 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperXu WangKevin Stewart

In-app purchases

None

Crypto String

No in-app purchases

None

PGPony

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Crypto String free?
Crypto String costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PGPony free?
PGPony is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Crypto String or PGPony have ads?
Neither Crypto String nor PGPony shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Crypto String or PGPony?
Crypto String ships an update every 4 months, and PGPony weekly. Most recently, Crypto String was updated on October 6, 2026 and PGPony on October 3, 2026.

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