Comparison

Cipher vs Antique Identifier

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

Head to head
About

Cipher

Features
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What is it? Who designed it? What's it worth? Cipher answers all three. Point your camera at a chair, a lamp, a vase, a watch, an antique โ€” anything with deliberate design โ€” and Cipher names the piece, the designer behind it, and what comparable pieces are listing for right now. IDENTIFY Cipher reads form and detail to name the specific piece โ€” an Eames Lounge Chair, a Poul Henningsen lamp โ€” and the style it belongs to. Not just "a chair." WHAT IT'S WORTH See an estimated price range based on real, current market listings โ€” not a made-up number. Compare similar pieces for sale so you know where you stand before you buy, sell, or walk past it. THE DESIGNER AND THE STORY Find out who designed it, and explore more of their work in open museum collections. Cipher draws on design history and international archives to explain where a piece comes from, how it was made, and why it lasts. LISTEN INSTEAD OF READING Every result can be narrated aloud, start to finish โ€” so you can put the phone down and keep looking at the piece in front of you. SCAN AND WALK AWAY Analysis keeps running after you leave the app. Cipher notifies you the moment a result is ready. HONEST BY DESIGN When a photo can't establish what something is, Cipher says so โ€” and shows no result rather than a confident-sounding guess. Identifying a design is not the same as authenticating an object, and Cipher never pretends otherwise. WHAT YOU CAN SCAN - Furniture, lighting & design objects โ€” chairs, lamps, tables, ceramics - Antiques & collectibles โ€” pottery, glass, silver, metalware, jewellery - Patterns & textiles โ€” prints, rugs, wallpaper - Architecture & ornament โ€” facades, tilework, columns MUSEUM-QUALITY SOURCES Results are enriched with open-access works from the Met Museum, the V&A, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Smithsonian, Harvard Art Museums, the Rijksmuseum, the Getty, Europeana and Wikimedia. HOW IT WORKS Snap or select a photo. Cipher analyses it with advanced AI. Get the identification, the value, the designer and the full story in seconds. Your first scan is free. Cipher Pro is then free for 7 days, billed yearly after that, and you can cancel any time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.cipherscanner.com/privacy-policy#top

About

Antique Identifier

Features
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Antique Identifier helps turn an object photo into a clear, structured antique research report. Take a new picture or choose a photo from your library to identify the item and review the visible details before saving it to your collection. KEY FEATURES AI Antique Identification Scan the main object, add a detail photo when available, and get a likely category, era, material, style, and maker-mark clues. Value Range and Rarity Clues Review a conservative value range with condition, rarity, marketability, and visual-evidence reasoning. Collection History Save reports locally so every scan can become part of your personal antique archive. Designed for Collectors Useful for inherited items, estate-sale finds, flea-market objects, vintage decor, collectibles, and pieces you want to research further. Important: value ranges are AI estimates based on visible details. Antique Identifier is not a certified appraisal, authentication service, legal, tax, insurance, investment, or financial advice product. For high-value or uncertain items, confirm with a qualified appraiser or specialist. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://legal.rkvpxdr.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Cipher4 screens
Antique Identifier4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Antique Identifier at none against Cipher's shown. Antique Identifier also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Cipher's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Cipher sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Antique Identifier sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cipher ships an update every 2 weeks, Antique Identifier every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Cipher versus Antique Identifier: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCipherAntique Identifier
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks โ€” betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS17.015.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size43 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerlouis currieTianjin Illuso Information Technology Co., Ltd.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Cipher

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Antique Identifier

Subscriptions2
  • Pro (Weekly)$4.997 Days
  • Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Cipher free?
Cipher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Antique Identifier free?
Antique Identifier is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cipher or Antique Identifier have ads?
Cipher shows ads; Antique Identifier does not.
Which is updated more often, Cipher or Antique Identifier?
Cipher ships an update every 2 weeks, and Antique Identifier every 5 weeks. Most recently, Cipher was updated on October 31, 2026 and Antique Identifier on October 18, 2026.

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