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Codes and ciphers

Crack puzzles, make secret messages and translate between codes and old alphabets. Every tool runs in your browser.

Puzzle solvers

Codeword solverEnter the number grid and starter letters to crack a codeword.Cryptogram solverCrack a letter-swap puzzle automatically or one letter at a time.Cryptoquip solverHelp with the daily newspaper cryptogram, using its clue letter.Word ladderChange one letter at a time to turn one word into another.Word search solverType in a grid and find the hidden words.

Ciphers

Caesar cipherShift letters along the alphabet, or crack a shift you don't know.Vigenère cipherA keyword cipher, with a cracker for when you don't know the key.Atbash cipherSwap A for Z, B for Y and so on. Works both ways.ROT13The classic spoiler cipher: shift every letter by 13.Pigpen cipherDraw messages in the grid-and-dot code of the Freemasons.Cipher decoderPaste a mystery code and see which cipher it is.Morse code translatorText to dots and dashes and back, with sound.

Numbers and computer codes

Binary translatorText to 0s and 1s and back, including emoji.Hex to textHexadecimal to text and text to hex.Base64 decodeTurn Base64 back into readable text.Base64 encodeTurn text into Base64.ASCII tableEvery ASCII code in decimal, hex and binary.Letters to numbersA = 1, B = 2 … the simplest number code.Number to letter1 = A, 2 = B … decode number messages.

Alphabets and old scripts

Phonetic alphabetAlpha, Bravo, Charlie: spell anything clearly.Braille translatorText to braille and braille back to text.Rune translatorWrite your name in Viking and Anglo-Saxon runes.Ogham translatorWrite in the ancient Irish tree alphabet.

Make your own

Word search makerMake and print your own word search with an answer key.Anagram generatorTurn a name or phrase into funny and clever anagrams.

Codes, ciphers and puzzles

A code swaps whole words or letters for other symbols, such as dots and dashes in Morse code or numbers in a letter-number code. A cipher changes the letters of a message by following a rule, such as shifting each letter three places in the Caesar cipher. Puzzles like codewords and cryptograms use the same ideas for fun.

Start with the cipher decoder if you have a mystery message and do not know how it was made. For newspaper puzzles, the codeword solver and cryptogram solver will crack the grid or the sentence and let you reveal as much as you want.

Every tool on this page runs in your own browser. Nothing you type is sent to us, so you can use them freely for homework, escape rooms, treasure hunts, games and puzzles.

If you enjoy word puzzles as well as codes, try the word ladder, where one word turns into another a letter at a time, or make a printable word search for a class or a party.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between a code and a cipher?

A code replaces words or letters with other symbols using a fixed list, such as Morse code. A cipher transforms the letters of a message using a rule or a key, such as the Caesar or Vigenère cipher.

Which tool should I use for an unknown message?

Try the cipher decoder first. It tests the most common codes and ciphers and ranks the answers.

Are these tools free?

Yes, all of them, with no sign-up.

Can these tools break modern encryption?

No. They are for classic ciphers, puzzles and simple codes, not the encryption used to protect banking or messaging.