# Unlocked vs Cold Case Trace

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Cold Case Trace at 64 against Unlocked's 7. Unlocked's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Unlocked sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Cold Case Trace sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Unlocked against 4.5 for Cold Case Trace. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cold Case Trace has 64 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Unlocked's written reviews are positive against 40% of Cold Case Trace's.

Unlocked ships an update weekly, Cold Case Trace every 9 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Unlocked | Cold Case Trace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unlocked-detective-stories/id6779227605/reviews) | **[4.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-case-trace-redstring/id6788852743/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **64** |
| Positive reviews | 36.4% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 44 MB | 135 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Louis Dussoulier](https://appshunter.io/developer/1791601500) | [Oguzhan Yildirim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685663174) |

## What reviewers say

### Unlocked

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unlocked-detective-stories/id6779227605)

Immerse yourself in realistic phone investigations to uncover the truth. Explore messages, photos, and financial records to deduce the culprit. This game offers original, complete cases with new investigations added regularly.

**Highlights:** Realistic phone investigation, Message and photo analysis, Financial record review, Social media profiling, Cross-checking clues, Deductive reasoning gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly sub | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |


### Cold Case Trace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-case-trace-redstring/id6788852743)

Uncover the truth by examining a simulated phone's messages, photos, and data. Connect clues on an evidence board and accuse the killer in this interactive detective story. Your first case is free to play.

**Highlights:** Simulated phone with chats, photos, and data, Interactive live chat with client, Evidence board with red string connections, Escalating hint system, Multiple European case locations, Unlockable cases via subscription

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Redstring Pass — Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Pass — Special Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| Redstring Pass — Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Reveal the Answer | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Reveals | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 Reveals | $7.99 | one-time |
| All Cases — Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Unlocked free?

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

### Is Cold Case Trace free?

Cold Case Trace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Unlocked or Cold Case Trace?

Cold Case Trace is rated higher. Unlocked averages 4.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Cold Case Trace averages 4.5 from 64 ratings.

### Do Unlocked or Cold Case Trace have ads?

Neither Unlocked nor Cold Case Trace shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Unlocked or Cold Case Trace?

Unlocked ships an update weekly, and Cold Case Trace every 9 days. Most recently, Unlocked was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cold Case Trace on October 31, 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.*