Comparison

PGPony vs Cipher5000

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

Head to head
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 seven languages. New in 8.1.0: iPad support and large files. Encrypt, sign, and decrypt files of any size, including with an RSA hardware key over NFC or USB-C, with progress and cancel. Signing with a passphrase-protected RSA key is fixed. Post-quantum encryption pairs Ed25519 with ML-KEM-768, in RFC 9580 (v6) and LibrePGP versions, private even against future quantum computers. HARDWARE SECURITY KEYS Keep your private key on dedicated hardware, not your phone. 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. Full card admin: change or unblock PINs, factory-reset, and view Card Details. ENCRYPT, DECRYPT & SIGN Encrypt messages and files of any size to any public key, or to a password with no keys at all, readable by gpg -c and back. Decrypt with a private key, a hardware key, or a passphrase, now close to instant even with a large keyring. Sign without encrypting, including detached signatures and large files, and verify a downloaded file against its signature. A signature banner shows who signed on every decrypt, for every key type including RSA. AEAD (OCB) encryption. GENERATE & MANAGE KEYS Create keys on a card or in-app: post-quantum Ed25519 + ML-KEM-768 in v6 and LibrePGP, v6 Ed25519, classic Ed25519 + Cv25519, or RSA 2048/4096. Full OpenPGP v6 (RFC 9580), bit-for-bit interoperable with Sequoia PGP and GnuPG. A built-in helper helps you pick the right type. Import from files, clipboard, QR codes, or keyservers, including GnuPG v4 and v6 keys. 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 iPhone or Android. The file stays with you, never on anyone's server. KEYSERVERS Look up a recipient by email through Web Key Directory, then keys.openpgp.org. Publish to several servers at once, and choose which PGPony searches and publishes to. Route lookups through Tor or a SOCKS proxy, and let background refresh catch revocations. PGPony warns when a server may not accept a newer key type. PASSWORD STORE Open a pass (password-store) folder and browse its entries. Decrypt with a software or hardware key, then copy the password through an auto-clearing clipboard. otpauth URIs are shown, and plaintext is dropped the moment you leave the entry. SHARE SHEET EXTENSION Encrypt or decrypt text, encrypt a file, or sign a file in any app: Safari, Files, Notes, Mail. Messages for your hardware key hand off to the app. SECURITY FIRST Face ID / Touch ID lock with auto-lock. Software keys live in the iOS Keychain (hardware-backed), or on an NFC card instead. iCloud Keychain sync, key expiration reminders, and Contacts auto-matching by email. No analytics, tracking, accounts, or sign-up. Your private keys never leave your device, and with a hardware key they never leave the card. SEVEN LANGUAGES English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese. ALL FEATURES INCLUDED Everything is free with no restrictions: Post-quantum keys, on-card generation, and hardware keys (RSA and ECC) Cross-platform encrypted backup and restore, verified signatures including RSA Full OpenPGP v6 (RFC 9580), password encryption (gpg -c), multi-keyserver publishing with Tor Detached signing, Password Store, QR exchange, GnuPG import, open-source core, dark mode 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

About

Cipher5000

Features
Read full description

Cipher is a creative tool that transforms text into fun, coded messages only decodable by the intended recipient. With a library of 250 unique ciphers, you can encode text into fun formats and then share them with friends through any messaging platform. As long as your recipient knows which cipher to use, they can decode the text and reveal its hidden meaning.

Screenshots

PGPony4 screens
Cipher50004 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PGPony at weekly against Cipher5000's every 3 weeks. Cipher5000's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PGPony ships an update weekly, Cipher5000 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
PGPony versus Cipher5000: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPGPonyCipher5000
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (12 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB185 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKevin StewartSean Scollin

In-app purchases

None

PGPony

No in-app purchases

None

Cipher5000

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PGPony free?
PGPony is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cipher5000 free?
Cipher5000 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PGPony or Cipher5000 have ads?
Neither PGPony nor Cipher5000 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PGPony or Cipher5000?
PGPony ships an update weekly, and Cipher5000 every 3 weeks. Most recently, PGPony was updated on September 16, 2026 and Cipher5000 on September 14, 2026.

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