# Cryptogram Tale vs Words & Books

The clearest difference is ads: Words & Books at none against Cryptogram Tale's shown. Words & Books also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.1). Cryptogram Tale's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 40%) and ratings volume (1.6K vs 381). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptogram Tale sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Words & Books sells 18 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Cryptogram Tale against 4.7 for Words & Books. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 381 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Cryptogram Tale's written reviews are positive against 40% of Words & Books's.

Cryptogram Tale ships an update every 3 months, Words & Books every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptogram Tale | Words & Books |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749/reviews) | **[4.7 (381 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-and-books-code-quest/id6736644953/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 381 |
| Positive reviews | **72.5% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 160 MB | 303 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GammaLateral LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/685178329) | [Matryoshka Games (CY) LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1530009343) |

## What reviewers say

### Cryptogram Tale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Get 30 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Get 70 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Progress getting deleted
- Ads not loading properly
- Keyboard not opening automatically

**Requested features**

- 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


### Words & Books

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-and-books-code-quest/id6736644953)

Engage your mind with a unique blend of word puzzles, cryptograms, and logic challenges. Decode famous quotes, expand your vocabulary, and enjoy an uninterrupted, educational gaming experience suitable for all ages.

**Highlights:** Decode famous quotes, Cryptogram challenges, Logic puzzles, Vocabulary enrichment, Intuitive gameplay, Varied difficulty levels

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| NoAds Pack! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| NoAds Pack! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $1.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| NoAds Pack! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $4.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $6.99 | one-time |
| NoAds Pack! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $14.99 | one-time |
| Your Offer! | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $39.99 | one-time |
| Bundle Pack | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good game
- 👍 Excellent game to keep mind sharp
- 👍 Definitely challenging

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Too many ads
- 🐛 Janky typing interface causes errors
- 🐛 Numbers are hard to see

**Reported bugs**

- Ad-free version still has ads
- No response from support

**Requested features**

- Add French language support
- Auto-populate letter/number combinations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptogram Tale free?

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

### Is Words & Books free?

Words & Books is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cryptogram Tale or Words & Books?

Words & Books is rated higher. Cryptogram Tale averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Words & Books averages 4.7 from 381 ratings.

### Do Cryptogram Tale or Words & Books have ads?

Cryptogram Tale shows ads; Words & Books does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptogram Tale or Words & Books?

Cryptogram Tale ships an update every 3 months, and Words & Books every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cryptogram Tale was updated on November 1, 2026 and Words & Books on October 30, 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.*