# The Guides vs Cipherhack

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Guides at 88% against Cipherhack's 0%. The Guides also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Cipherhack's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Cipherhack is free to download; The Guides costs $2.99 up front. Cipherhack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Guides asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Guides holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Guides has 731 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of The Guides's written reviews are positive against 0% of Cipherhack's.

The Guides ships an update every 4 months, Cipherhack every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Guides | Cipherhack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-guides/id894022200/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipherhack-puzzle-game/id6450188755/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **731** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 45 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 11.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [2 Fountains LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1730752274) | [Farid Fakhnavar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692223826) |

## What reviewers say

### The Guides

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-guides/id894022200)

Embark on a journey of challenging codes, puzzles, and interactive ciphers that test your wit and imagination. Unravel a fragmented story by finding clues and patterns, utilizing integrated decoding tools and a distress support system.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of challenging codes and puzzles, Interactive ciphers, Fragmented story to unravel, Integrated decoding tools (Morse, binary), Screenshot saving for clues, Distress support system

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging and engaging puzzles
- 🧠 Exercises the mind
- 🎨 Minimalist and visually appealing
- 🕹️ Unique gameplay experience
- 🕵️‍♂️ Intriguing storyline and mystery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🤯 Puzzles can be overly complex or unclear
- 📱 Small text and UI elements on mobile
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions or guidance

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle solutions not being accepted correctly
- App crashes or freezes when switching between puzzles

**Requested features**

- More frequent updates and new content
- Improved UI and accessibility options
- Hint system or gradual difficulty scaling


### Cipherhack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipherhack-puzzle-game/id6450188755)

Embark on a code-breaking adventure solving intricate puzzles and cracking complex encryption methods. Unravel mysterious messages and challenge your intellect with a variety of classic and modern ciphers. Become a master of ciphers in this addictive and immersive puzzle game.

**Highlights:** Solve intricate puzzles, Crack complex encryption methods, Master classic and modern ciphers, Unravel mysterious messages, Captivating gameplay, Intriguing storyline

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Guides free?

The Guides costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cipherhack free?

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

### Which has better reviews, The Guides or Cipherhack?

The Guides is rated higher. The Guides averages 4.8 out of 5 from 731 ratings, while Cipherhack averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do The Guides or Cipherhack have ads?

Neither The Guides nor Cipherhack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Guides or Cipherhack?

The Guides ships an update every 4 months, and Cipherhack every 3 months. Most recently, The Guides was updated on September 22, 2026 and Cipherhack on September 22, 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.*