# Cold Case Trace vs Last Seen

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Last Seen at 100% against Cold Case Trace's 40%. Last Seen also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Cold Case Trace's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (64 vs 20). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cold Case Trace sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Last Seen sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Last Seen holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 64 and 20 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Cold Case Trace's written reviews are positive against 100% of Last Seen's.

Cold Case Trace ships an update every 9 days, Last Seen every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cold Case Trace | Last Seen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-case-trace-redstring/id6788852743/reviews) | **[4.8 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/last-seen-detective-story/id6790769959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **64** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 135 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Oguzhan Yildirim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685663174) | [Filipp Bazun](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795916117) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Last Seen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/last-seen-detective-story/id6790769959)

Investigate a disappearance by searching through a missing person's phone. Uncover clues in texts, photos, and apps to piece together the timeline and solve the mystery. This interactive fiction game offers true-crime style cases.

**Highlights:** Explore a digital phone interface, Analyze texts and photos, Piece together timelines, Solve true-crime style mysteries, AI-assisted and human-edited cases, Two free cases included

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Signal 9 — Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Signal 9 — Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Second Listen | $3.99 | one-time |
| Closing Time | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cold Case Trace free?

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

### Is Last Seen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cold Case Trace or Last Seen?

Last Seen is rated higher. Cold Case Trace averages 4.5 out of 5 from 64 ratings, while Last Seen averages 4.8 from 20 ratings.

### Do Cold Case Trace or Last Seen have ads?

Neither Cold Case Trace nor Last Seen shows ads.

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

Cold Case Trace ships an update every 9 days, and Last Seen every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cold Case Trace was updated on October 31, 2026 and Last Seen on November 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*
