Comparison

Cryptogram Tale vs Cryptogram Round

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Cryptogram Tale

Decode encrypted messages to reveal hidden stories. This word puzzle game challenges you to break codes by substituting letters, offering hundreds of tales and thousands of cryptograms to solve. Customize your experience with various fonts and color schemes, and use hints when needed.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of tales
  • Thousands of cryptograms
  • Dozens of fonts
  • Different color schemes
  • In-game hints
Features
Read full description

Break the code and unravel the story! Can you decode all of the passages and discover the story within? Challenge yourself with this puzzle word game! A Cryptogram is a message encoded by switching the actual letters with different letters. • Hundreds of Tales! • Thousands of Cryptograms! • Dozens of Fonts! • Different color schemes! • Hints for when you're stuck!

About

Cryptogram Round

Solve cryptograms with a collection of handpicked quotes. Features include hints, letter usage counts, and adjustable puzzle sizes. Enjoy a ad-free experience that strengthens your mind and offers witty insights.

Highlights
  • No ads
  • Handpicked quotes
  • Hints available
  • Puzzles include punctuation
  • Adjustable puzzle size
  • Show letter usage counts
  • Share quotes
Features
Read full description

Cryptogram Round is the best way to solve cryptograms anywhere. You've played millions of our cryptogram games over the years and we've listened: • No ads • Handpicked quotes • Hints • Puzzles include punctuation • Puzzles size to screen, no scrolling • Auto advance after guess • Optionally show incorrect answers • Show letter usage counts • Share quotes • Play in landscape or portrait Enjoy our witty and wise puzzle quotes with friends and family, knowing that each time you solve a puzzle, you gain an insight and strengthen your mind.

Screenshots

Cryptogram Tale4 screens
Cryptogram Round4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Cryptogram Round at none against Cryptogram Tale's shown. Cryptogram Round also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 72%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cryptogram Tale sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Cryptogram Round sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cryptogram Round holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 3.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Cryptogram Tale's written reviews are positive against 97% of Cryptogram Round's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cryptogram Tale ships an update every 3 months, Cryptogram Round every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Cryptogram Tale versus Cryptogram Round: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCryptogram TaleCryptogram Round
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.6K ratings)4.8 (3.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.5% of reviews96.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K3.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.111.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size160 MB13 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperGammaLateral LLCNorman Basham

Customer experience

Cryptogram Tale

All ratings1,591 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral3.2%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews138 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral8.7%
Negative18.8%

Cryptogram Round

All ratings3,274 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral2.3%
Negative0.7%
Written reviews269 reviews
Positive96.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative1.1%

User reviews

Cryptogram Tale

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Hundreds of cryptograms
  • 📚 Interesting stories and literature
  • 👍 No ads unless you want a hint
  • 💡 Hints available by watching ads
  • 🔒 No glitches or annoying ads

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Difficulty level not always clear
  • 🔍 Capitalized words revealed after first letter
  • 🔍 Some stories not well-suited for cryptograms
  • 🔍 Ads can't always be closed

Cryptogram Round

From 3.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and challenging puzzles
  • 🚀 Automatic letter filling
  • 🔒 No ads
  • 🚀 Quick and easy to play
  • 💡 Interesting and thought-provoking quotes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Limited number of puzzles
  • 💡 Desire for more difficult/longer puzzles
  • 💡 Wish for more modern or diverse quotes

Bugs and requests

Cryptogram Tale

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Progress getting deleted
  • Ads not loading properly
  • Keyboard not opening automatically

Requested features

6 requests
  • More modern and diverse stories
  • Ability to choose story titles
  • Cursor that skips to next blank space
  • Undo button
  • Trigger warnings for dark/disturbing content
Show 1 more
  • More classical music options

Cryptogram Round

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Some puzzles have incorrect quotes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Option to turn off automatic letter filling
  • More free puzzles or ability to reset/replay levels
  • Daily puzzles or new content updates
  • Ability to take notes or mark up the screen

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Cryptogram Tale

One-time3
  • Get 30 Hints$0.99
  • Get 70 Hints$1.99
  • Remove Ads$9.99
8 purchases

Cryptogram Round

One-time8
  • Mercury - 10 Rounds$1.99
  • 20 Hints$1.99
  • Mars - 25 Rounds$3.99
Show 5 more
  • 50 Hints$3.99
  • Jupiter - 60 Rounds$4.99
  • Unlimited Hints$4.99
  • 60 Rounds & Unlimited Hints$7.99
  • Solar System - 95 Rounds!$7.99

Questions

Is Cryptogram Tale free?
Cryptogram Tale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cryptogram Round free?
Cryptogram Round is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cryptogram Tale or Cryptogram Round?
Cryptogram Round is rated higher. Cryptogram Tale averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Cryptogram Round averages 4.8 from 3.3K ratings.
Do Cryptogram Tale or Cryptogram Round have ads?
Cryptogram Tale shows ads; Cryptogram Round does not.
Which is updated more often, Cryptogram Tale or Cryptogram Round?
Cryptogram Tale ships an update every 3 months, and Cryptogram Round every 2 months. Most recently, Cryptogram Tale was updated on October 3, 2026 and Cryptogram Round on October 1, 2026.

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