# 2048 vs Scioly Codebusters

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scioly Codebusters at none against 2048's 1. Scioly Codebusters also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months). 2048's advantage is ratings volume (1.3K vs 17). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 2048 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Scioly Codebusters asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for 2048 against 4.6 for Scioly Codebusters. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 2048 has 1.3K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of 2048's written reviews are positive against 86% of Scioly Codebusters's.

2048 ships an update every 5 months, Scioly Codebusters weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 2048 | Scioly Codebusters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2048/id864653361/reviews)** | [4.6 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scioly-codebusters/id6642683299/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 72.8% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Chaohsien Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/438073768) | [Rohit Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763530306) |

## What reviewers say

### 2048

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/2048/id864653361)

A tile-merging puzzle game where players swipe to combine tiles of the same number, aiming to reach the 2048 tile and achieve high scores. It offers various modes including classic, challenge, obstacle, and multiplayer.

**Highlights:** Swipe to merge tiles, Multiplayer mode via Game Center, Multiple difficulty levels, Challenge and obstacle modes, High score and shortest move tracking, Auto-save functionality, Achievements

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DisableAds | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and relaxing game
- 🧠 Challenging brain exercise
- 🕰️ Great time killer
- 🎮 Addictive gameplay
- 💻 Works well on Apple Watch

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔍 Lack of leaderboard or score tracking
- 🔧 Limited game modes or customization
- 📺 Intrusive ads
- 🔁 Inability to continue previous game

**Reported bugs**

- Leaderboard not working properly
- Game resets progress after closing
- Apple Watch version has performance issues
- No-Ads purchase doesn't work as expected

**Requested features**

- Add a back/undo button
- Implement global leaderboards
- Introduce new game modes
- Improve Apple Watch integration
- Add more visual themes and customization


### Scioly Codebusters

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scioly-codebusters/id6642683299)

Practice codebreaking with a vast collection of quotes covering Aristocrats, Patristocrats, and Xenocrypts. Offers assisted modes with hints for beginners and manual modes for advanced users. Includes a dictionary to learn common word patterns and accelerate cipher-solving skills.

**Highlights:** Practice Aristocrats, Patristocrats, Xenocrypts, Over a thousand quotes, Assisted mode with hints, Manual mode for challenges, Unique dictionary feature, Learn common word patterns

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 2048 free?

2048 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Scioly Codebusters free?

Scioly Codebusters is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, 2048 or Scioly Codebusters?

2048 is rated higher. 2048 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Scioly Codebusters averages 4.6 from 17 ratings.

### Do 2048 or Scioly Codebusters have ads?

2048 shows ads; Scioly Codebusters does not.

### Which is updated more often, 2048 or Scioly Codebusters?

2048 ships an update every 5 months, and Scioly Codebusters weekly. Most recently, 2048 was updated on October 19, 2026 and Scioly Codebusters on October 3, 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.*