CrackAndReveal and Lock Challenge are the closest pair in this category: both put a text, a link or a picture behind a lock that players open on their phone, shared by short link and QR code. They differ in what the free plan counts, how you pay, and what the player sees when the lock opens.
CrackAndReveal facts read on crackandreveal.com on 18 October 2026.
The CrackAndReveal facts on this page are what crackandreveal.com says itself, read on 18 October 2026 (unchanged since our previous reading on 15 October). Prices and limits change, and theirs are shown with tax included, in euros in the eurozone and US dollars elsewhere, so check them on their site before you choose.
| Criterion | Lock Challenge | What to check on CrackAndReveal |
|---|---|---|
| Lock formats | 15, all free, including a real GPS position check, a generated sudoku and a Wordle | How many mechanics, and whether any of them verify a physical location |
| Free tier metering | Players and attempts are unlimited; the free tier is bounded by what you build (3 basic locks, single or multi-step, of up to 3 steps each), and a basic lock never expires | Whether the free tier counts players, attempts, experiences or days |
| Paid options | Two ways to pay: the Event Pass, paid once for one event, at $7.90 for 15 days or $9.90 for 30 days, or Pro at $14.90 per month, cancellable at any time | Whether pricing is per event, per seat, per month, or one time |
| Reveal formats | Text, a link or a download, action button, image, audio, YouTube video, sanitised HTML, next clue, or several at once | Whether files, audio and video are supported, and at which tier |
| Opening animation | 54 filmed objects that fidget while the lock holds and open on video, with sound, when it gives way, the reward inside; 36 celebrations with sound (Event Pass and Pro) | What the player sees and hears at the moment the lock opens |
| Where the answer is checked | On the server, after the player submits. Written answers, codes and patterns are stored as bcrypt hashes, GPS, number and Wordle answers are checked against parameters the page never receives, and the reveal is not sent to the browser before a solve. Only the hint and step titles are in the page | Whether the answer, or the next page, can be reached from the page source or by clicking around instead of solving |
| Nearly right answers | Free: your own wrong-answer line, a second line for an answer that was nearly right (one digit or one letter off, or a word you listed as close), and a hint that shows itself after a set number of wrong tries | Whether a wrong answer can say something different from a nearly right one |
| Timer | Pro: a clock kept by the server, one play per device, one clock across every step of a trail. Reloading the page does not reset it | Whether a countdown is enforced or only displayed, and what a page reload does to it |
| Player accounts | Never required | Whether players are asked to register or install anything |
| Languages | English, French, Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese, player interface included, in the language the creator picks | Whether the player interface is translated, not just the marketing site |
CrackAndReveal is the better pick when you would rather pay once than subscribe: Pro is $29 for life, and its Event Pass ($9 for 30 days, paid once) keeps your locks after it ends. It speaks German and Italian, which Lock Challenge does not, and it offers a compass lock, a 5x5 grid and a virtual geolocation lock, three formats Lock Challenge does not have.
Only what crackandreveal.com states on its home page, its FAQ and its assistant page. Anything we could not confirm there is left out rather than guessed.
Sources: crackandreveal.com/en, crackandreveal.com/en/faq, crackandreveal.com/en/mcp
Players and attempts are unlimited on every plan, free included. A cap on attempts is reached exactly when a puzzle works, a class tries it or a post is shared; here the free plan is bounded by what you build (3 basic locks of up to 3 steps each), and a basic lock never expires.
54 filmed objects, a treasure chest, a safe, a vault door, a gift box, a ring case among them, move while the lock holds and open on video, with sound, when the right answer lands; the reward appears inside the opened object. Lock Challenge is the only virtual lock tool with filmed unlock animations. They come with the Event Pass and Pro, and can be tried free on a live preview.
Behind the lock: text, a link or a download, an action button, a picture, audio, a YouTube video that plays inside the lock, styled HTML, the next clue, or several at once. Every reveal is free on every plan.
The answer is verified on the server and the reveal is only sent after a solve. A wrong answer gets your own line, a nearly right one gets a second line, and the hint shows itself after a set number of tries. Pro adds a server timer, a leaderboard, an access password, a cap on winners and each player's result.
Lock Challenge is the wrong choice if you want a lifetime licence rather than a pass or a subscription, if your players read German or Italian, or if your puzzle needs a compass, a 5x5 grid or a virtual geolocation lock. It has no team workspace yet either.
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