Comparison

Cipher5000 vs RelayPony

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

Head to head
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.

About

RelayPony

Features
Read full description

RelayPony sends files straight from one device to another, encrypted end to end. Pair once, then send any time: photos, videos, documents, whatever you have. When two paired devices are on the same network or nearby, RelayPony connects them directly, so your files never touch a server. You can also send over the internet to a paired device that is not nearby. RelayPony tries a direct connection between the two devices first, and only falls back to a relay if it cannot connect directly. Everything stays encrypted end to end the whole way with the age encryption protocol, so the relay only ever sees ciphertext, never your files or your keys. Pairing is a one-time step. Scan a QR code, confirm the short code both devices show, and from then on the two are paired and can send to each other. Why people use it: Direct device to device on your local network, with no server in the middle. Send over the internet to a paired device anywhere, with an encrypted relay used only as a fallback when a direct link is not possible. End to end encrypted with age. Only the two paired devices can read what is sent. No account, no sign-up, no email required. Works even with no shared Wi-Fi, by connecting the two devices directly. Send by address when the other device does not show up on its own. Send to any nearby phone or tablet, whatever the other person carries. Send multiple files at once, with a live progress bar. Save received photos straight to your library. Available in English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Portuguese, and Hindi. RelayPony is free. No in-app purchases and no ads. The core of RelayPony is open source, so the way it pairs, encrypts, and transfers files is out in the open for anyone to read and verify. You can find it on GitHub. RelayPony is part of the Pony family of privacy tools, alongside PGPony for OpenPGP, AgePony for age encryption, and QuorumPony for key backup. Questions or feedback: NorseHorse@norsehor.se

Screenshots

Cipher50004 screens
RelayPony4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cipher5000 at every 3 weeks against RelayPony's every 2 months. Cipher5000 also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cipher5000 ships an update every 3 weeks, RelayPony every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Cipher5000 versus RelayPony: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCipher5000RelayPony
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks โ€” betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better17.6
Further details โ€” not scored
Size185 MB4 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSean ScollinKevin Stewart

In-app purchases

None

Cipher5000

No in-app purchases

None

RelayPony

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cipher5000 free?
Cipher5000 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RelayPony free?
RelayPony is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Cipher5000 or RelayPony have ads?
Neither Cipher5000 nor RelayPony shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cipher5000 or RelayPony?
Cipher5000 ships an update every 3 weeks, and RelayPony every 2 months. Most recently, Cipher5000 was updated on October 2, 2026 and RelayPony on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons