Comparison

Polar Cipher vs Cipher Grid

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

Head to head
About

Polar Cipher

Engage in a strategic ice-puzzle adventure where careful planning and precise movements are key to solving each level. Progress through a multi-chapter story with increasing difficulty, unique challenges, and rewarding progression. Unlock power-ups and cosmetic items as you master the game.

Highlights
  • Handcrafted puzzle levels
  • Strategy-focused gameplay
  • 3-star level goals
  • Unlockable power-ups
  • Cosmetic player skins
  • Optional expansion packs
Read full description

Polar Cipher is a handcrafted ice-puzzle adventure where every move matters. Glide across frozen boards, read the layout, and solve each stage with smart planning and precision. The main story starts accessible and gradually introduces tougher puzzle ideas, tricky hazards, and more demanding routes that reward careful thinking. Whether you want a quick puzzle break or a longer strategy session, Polar Cipher is built for satisfying, replayable progression. Features: Handcrafted puzzle levels across a multi-chapter main story Crisp, strategy-focused gameplay built around planning your route 3-star level goals for extra challenge and replay value Best-score / best-move improvement goals for perfectionists Earn crystals through play and use them in the store Unlock helpful power-ups like Hammer, Grippy Shoes, Safety Bubble, and Map Scan Unlock cosmetic player skins Optional expansion level packs Optional Remove Ads purchase If you enjoy puzzle games that mix logic, planning, and clean progression, Polar Cipher delivers a focused challenge you can keep coming back to. Contains optional in-app purchases.

About

Cipher Grid

Read full description

A new secret message to crack. Every single day. Cipher Grid is a daily puzzle game where you decode real encrypted messages using actual historical ciphers. Each puzzle is a quote hidden behind a different code. Your job is to figure out the letters and reveal it. DAILY PUZZLE One new challenge every day. Each day uses a different cipher and difficulty, so no two days feel the same. 18 CIPHERS TO DECODE Caesar. Atbash. ROT13. Morse. Vigenère. Playfair. Semaphore. Maritime Flags. And more. Each one is a real encryption method used throughout history — from ancient scribes to World War spies to modern radio operators. LEARN AS YOU PLAY Built-in lessons explain every cipher from the ground up. No prior knowledge needed. Start as a complete beginner and work your way to mastering techniques used by real cryptographers. ENCRYPT AND DECRYPT A full toolkit covering 22 ciphers, free for everyone. Includes a working Enigma I simulator with configurable rotors, reflector, ring settings, and plugboard, plus the Hill matrix cipher. ZODIAC CHALLENGE A separate set of hand-picked puzzles to solve at your own pace. Free. PRO Unlock unlimited practice puzzles and Secure Message — public-key encrypted messages and photos that only the intended recipient can decrypt. Keys live on your device. Share the envelope as text or QR code, no servers involved. Every future feature added to the app is included. PRIVACY FIRST No accounts. No analytics. No tracking. No ads. Everything stays on your device. Available in English, French, German, Dutch, and Chinese. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://gist.github.com/ColdCompile/cf9b3ec7bc1f95c6379477e4bd097cf9

Screenshots

Polar Cipher4 screens
Cipher Grid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Cipher Grid at none against Polar Cipher's shown. Polar Cipher's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Polar Cipher sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Cipher Grid sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.90 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Polar Cipher ships an update weekly, Cipher Grid every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 1, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Polar Cipher versus Cipher Grid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolar CipherCipher Grid
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size165 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOvertime Innovations LLCFrancois Van Malleghem

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Polar Cipher

One-time8
  • 500 Crystals$0.99
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • 2,000 Crystals$2.99
Show 5 more
  • Frozen Meridian Level Pack$3.99
  • Icewind Corridor Level Pack$3.99
  • Black Ice Bastion Level Pack$4.99
  • 5,000 Crystals$4.99
  • Bundle Level Pack$9.99
2 purchases

Cipher Grid

Subscriptions2
  • Cipher Grid Pro$0.901 Month
  • Cipher Grid Pro$9.001 Year

Questions

Is Polar Cipher free?
Polar Cipher is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cipher Grid free?
Cipher Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Polar Cipher or Cipher Grid have ads?
Polar Cipher shows ads; Cipher Grid does not.
Which is updated more often, Polar Cipher or Cipher Grid?
Polar Cipher ships an update weekly, and Cipher Grid every 3 weeks. Most recently, Polar Cipher was updated on July 1, 2026 and Cipher Grid on September 10, 2026.

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