# The Guides vs Cipher Challenge

The clearest difference is price: Cipher Challenge at Free against The Guides's $2.99. Cipher Challenge also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). The Guides's advantage is ratings volume (731 vs 4) and review sentiment (88% vs 67%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Cipher Challenge is free to download; The Guides costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cipher Challenge holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Guides has 731 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 88% of The Guides's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cipher Challenge's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Guides ships an update every 4 months, Cipher Challenge every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Guides | Cipher Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (731 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-guides/id894022200/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **731** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **87.7% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 45 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [2 Fountains LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1730752274) | [Bao Lei](https://appshunter.io/developer/376966834) |

## 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


### Cipher Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cipher-challenge-codebusters/id6742675455)

Engage your mind with a variety of cipher decoding challenges. Practice different cipher types, track your progress, and compete with friends. Unlock quotes and sync your achievements across devices.

**Highlights:** Multiple cipher modes, Letter frequency analysis, Multiplayer competition, Unlocked quote gallery, Score history tracking, iCloud sync across devices, Hard mode challenge

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Guides free?

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

### Is Cipher Challenge free?

Cipher Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, The Guides or Cipher Challenge?

Cipher Challenge is rated higher. The Guides averages 4.8 out of 5 from 731 ratings, while Cipher Challenge averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do The Guides or Cipher Challenge have ads?

Neither The Guides nor Cipher Challenge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Guides or Cipher Challenge?

The Guides ships an update every 4 months, and Cipher Challenge every 5 weeks. Most recently, The Guides was updated on September 29, 2026 and Cipher Challenge on September 29, 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.*