# Cold Case Trace vs Unsealed

Cold Case Trace and Unsealed both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Unsealed's written reviews are positive against 40% of Cold Case Trace's. Unsealed also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). Cold Case Trace's advantage is ratings volume (62 vs 7). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Unsealed sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 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 Cold Case Trace against 4.6 for Unsealed. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cold Case Trace has 62 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 40% of Cold Case Trace's written reviews are positive against 67% of Unsealed's.

Cold Case Trace ships an update every 9 days, Unsealed every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cold Case Trace | Unsealed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cold-case-trace-redstring/id6788852743/reviews) | **[4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unsealed-cold-case-detective/id6811454211/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **62** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 135 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Oguzhan Yildirim](https://appshunter.io/developer/1685663174) | [Ilya Vishneuski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878175811) |

## 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 |


### Unsealed

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unsealed-cold-case-detective/id6811454211)

Explore a leaked phone to uncover evidence and solve cold cases. Dig through messages, photos, and more to trace suspects and piece together the truth. Use hints when needed to progress through each mystery.

**Highlights:** Explore a full phone's contents, Investigate messages, gallery, mail, notes, maps, Cross-reference evidence to build timelines, Find clues like screenshots and deleted texts, Use hints with 'Keys', Build a personal case archive

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unsealed Premium Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Unsealed Premium Yearly | $12.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cold Case Trace free?

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

### Is Unsealed free?

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

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

Unsealed is rated higher. Cold Case Trace averages 4.4 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Unsealed averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

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

Neither Cold Case Trace nor Unsealed shows ads.

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

Cold Case Trace ships an update every 9 days, and Unsealed every 3 days. Most recently, Cold Case Trace was updated on October 25, 2026 and Unsealed on October 26, 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.*