# Lone Star Puzzles vs Cipher

The clearest difference is ads: Cipher at none against Lone Star Puzzles's shown. Cipher also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lone Star Puzzles sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Cipher sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lone Star Puzzles ships an update every 6 weeks, Cipher every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lone Star Puzzles | Cipher |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lone-star-puzzles/id6760380929/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 37 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Sehlke](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884212598) | [Eldar Tutnjic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1504485100) |

## What reviewers say

### Lone Star Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lone-star-puzzles/id6760380929)

This logic puzzle game challenges you to place stars on a grid so that each row, column, and region has the correct number of stars, without any touching. Solve puzzles to reveal constellations and enjoy daily challenges and competitive modes.

**Highlights:** 12,500 unique puzzles, Interactive constellation sky map, Daily challenges with leaderboards, Challenge mode with opponents, Battle Rush mode, Intelligent hint system, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro+ | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |


### Cipher

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-decode-the-message/id6761147950)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cipher Pass Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Cipher Pass Yearly | $17.99 | per year |
| 50 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 120 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 300 Coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Cipher Pass Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lone Star Puzzles free?

Lone Star Puzzles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Cipher free?

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

### Do Lone Star Puzzles or Cipher have ads?

Lone Star Puzzles shows ads; Cipher does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lone Star Puzzles or Cipher?

Lone Star Puzzles ships an update every 6 weeks, and Cipher every 6 days. Most recently, Lone Star Puzzles was updated on October 23, 2026 and Cipher on October 13, 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.*