# Cryptogram Tale vs Gridzen

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gridzen at none against Cryptogram Tale's 3. Gridzen also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 72%). Cryptogram Tale's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 1). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptogram Tale sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Gridzen asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gridzen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cryptogram Tale has 1.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Cryptogram Tale's written reviews are positive against 100% of Gridzen's.

Cryptogram Tale ships an update every 3 months, Gridzen every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptogram Tale | Gridzen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptogram-tale/id966436749/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gridzen-quick-logic-puzzles/id6777143455/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 72.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 160 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.1 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GammaLateral LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/685178329) | [Pritesh Thaker](https://appshunter.io/developer/6777143457) |

## 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


### Gridzen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gridzen-quick-logic-puzzles/id6777143455)

Engage your mind with a collection of five distinct logic puzzle games, each offering a new daily challenge. Enjoy unlimited practice, compete in real-time multiplayer races, and track your progress with detailed statistics. The app respects your privacy and offers optional rewarded ads for hints.

**Highlights:** Five unique logic puzzle games, Daily puzzle challenges, Unlimited practice levels, Real-time multiplayer matches, Detailed player statistics, Privacy-respecting design

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptogram Tale free?

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

### Is Gridzen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cryptogram Tale or Gridzen?

Gridzen is rated higher. Cryptogram Tale averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Gridzen averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Cryptogram Tale or Gridzen have ads?

Both Cryptogram Tale and Gridzen show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptogram Tale or Gridzen?

Cryptogram Tale ships an update every 3 months, and Gridzen every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cryptogram Tale was updated on September 28, 2026 and Gridzen on August 13, 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.*