Comparison

Words in Progress vs SpellTower+

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

Head to head
About

Words in Progress

Engage in a unique word-crafting puzzle game by combining letters to form words. Test your skills in an endless single-player mode or challenge others in asynchronous multiplayer matches. Enjoy a clean design and a steady learning curve suitable for all ages.

Highlights
  • Unique word game mechanics
  • Single player endless mode
  • Asynchronous multiplayer mode
  • Long and steady learning curve
  • Clean, cozy, and crisp design
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

Enjoy our word crafting puzzle joy that never wears off! Combine letters to create words and choose your playstyle: take big risks for huge rewards, or carefully plan your way through hours of create-a-word fun! Face the mysterious Fridge in our brand new Story Mode, survive as long as you can in Endless mode, climb the Daily leaderboard or play against others in Multiplayer! Words in Progress offers: - A unique new word game - Single Player Story Mode - Single Player Endless mode - Multiplayer asynchronous Mode - A long and steady learning curve - Clean, cozy and crisp design - Fun for players of all ages - Multi-language gameplay and support In Words in Progress, the game begins with seven letters stacked vertically on the screen. Your goal is to combine these letters into words. Whenever you move a letter to another row to build a word, its empty spot is instantly replaced with a new letter from your pile. After submitting a word, new letters are added again, keeping the puzzle constantly evolving. How many words can you make? Enjoy a variety of game modes for both solo players and online multiplayer fans. Play casually for fun and learning, or compete against others and climb the ranks! In our latest Story Mode you follow our hero as they try to deal with a mysterious fridge that keeps haunting their dreams night after night. You can progress through more than 45 handcrafted levels, each featuring up to 3 stars to earn for players looking to fully master every challenge. In Single Player Endless Mode, the goal is to stay in the game as long as you can. Keep your letter pile from running out by completing challenges of varying word lengths. But beware: if you can’t keep up, it’s game over! Our Daily Challenge lets you compete against players around the world in the exact same game. How many points can you score? Climb the Daily Leaderboards and prove your skills. Remember: if today isn’t your day, there’s always another challenge waiting tomorrow! In Multiplayer Mode, you and your opponent each start with 40 letters. Do you take the risk of adding letters to words still in progress, aiming for a long word but risking an incomplete or invalid one? Or do you play it safe by “cashing in” shorter, valid words? A smart strategy is key if you want to outscore your opponent and claim victory!

About

SpellTower+

This word game challenges players to clear rising letter tiles by forming words. It offers multiple game modes, including classic and new puzzle variations, with strategic gameplay and bonus tiles to increase word values. Compete with others through leaderboards and track your progress with detailed statistics.

Highlights
  • Word formation gameplay
  • Rising tile mechanic
  • Multiple game modes
  • Bonus tiles
  • Highscores and leaderboards
  • Detailed statistics
Features
Read full description

The original best-selling mobile word game, reimagined! Pick your words wisely! As you play, more tiles rise from the bottom of the screen! It'll take all of your lexicological wits, and tactical know-how to keep your columns down. If any letters make it to the top row, it's game over. Classic modes Daily Tower, Tower, Puzzle, Rush and Zen are all back and packed with brand new BONUS TILES that double (or more!) word values. Joining them is the brand new Search mode, plus ExPuzzle, Double Puzzle, Bubble Puzzle, and Blitz mode! That’s eleven modes in all! Plus iCloud Backup, Highscores reported for games even while in-progress, detailed statistics for every mode, Game Center leaderboards, and achievements. ————————— It’s pretty wild to be revisiting my first hit game, SpellTower. I can't believe it's almost 10 years since it released. The first iPhones it ran on had a 3.5 inch screen and 320 x 480 resolution! I literally did a double-take at that resolution when I looked it up. A funny part about having a hit game is people talk to you about it. With SpellTower I heard about grandparents playing the game every morning to keep their minds sharp, parents playing it with their kids, expectant mothers playing it to get through morning sickness, and countless sightings of strangers playing it on subways, planes — even elevators. I got into games because I wanted to connect with people in a positive way. I wanted to help people think critically and come away with more than they arrived with. Games felt like a way to do this on a huge scale, but the stories I heard from SpellTower players taught me that games do so much more for people than I ever expected. I’m deeply grateful that SpellTower has been able to be something special for so many people, and I think that’s why so many people have shared it with friends, loved ones, and strangers on elevators. Even though SpellTower is a game I made, it’s really barely mine anymore. The experiences and love I had for the game has been outstripped by its audiences a thousandfold. I thought a lot about all the experiences that people have had with the game when I was designing this new version. I hope it gives everyone who’s loved the game a reason to pick it back up again and share it amongst their friends and family. -zach

Screenshots

Words in Progress4 screens
SpellTower+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Words in Progress at 4.6 against SpellTower+'s 3.8. Words in Progress also leads on monetization model (free vs paid) and review sentiment (59% vs 40%). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Words in Progress holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 467 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Words in Progress's written reviews are positive against 40% of SpellTower+'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Words in Progress ships an update every 5 weeks, SpellTower+ monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Words in Progress versus SpellTower+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWords in ProgressSpellTower+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.7K ratings) — better3.8 (467 ratings)
Positive reviews59.2% of reviews — better39.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1.7K — better467
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.5 — better13.6
Further details — not scored
Size391 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGamious B.V.Zach Gage

Customer experience

Words in Progress

All ratings1,717 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral5.3%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive59.2%
Neutral17.5%
Negative23.3%

SpellTower+

All ratings467 ratings
Positive63.4%
Neutral16.9%
Negative19.7%
Written reviews250 reviews
Positive39.6%
Neutral29.2%
Negative31.2%

User reviews

Words in Progress

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game
  • 🧠 Good brain exercise
  • ⚡ Addictive gameplay
  • 🎨 Interesting concept
  • 🆕 Clever and new

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Faulty and unreliable
  • 🤔 Poor dictionary and word acceptance
  • 🤯 Frustrating when words are rejected
  • 🤦‍♂️ Clumsy and unintuitive controls
  • 🔥 Overheats device

SpellTower+

From 467 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging gameplay
  • 🚀 Variety of game modes
  • 💡 Challenging word puzzles
  • 🎨 Clean and polished design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent word recognition
  • 🤔 Unclear scoring system
  • 🔇 Inability to turn off music/sound
  • 🔁 Repetitive puzzles

Bugs and requests

Words in Progress

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Authentication errors
  • Challenges not working properly
  • Scores not showing up
  • Screentime limit error
  • Blank tiles not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add undo/shuffle button
  • Improve dictionary and word acceptance
  • Provide word lookup/submission feature
  • Add difficulty settings and game modes
  • Improve UI and controls

SpellTower+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues with leaderboards and scores
  • Crashes and freezes on certain devices
  • Unresponsive controls and UI elements

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add dictionary definitions for found words
  • Improve word challenge system
  • Allow customization of fonts and colors
  • Expand word library to include more languages

In-app purchases

None

Words in Progress

No in-app purchases

None

SpellTower+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Words in Progress free?
Words in Progress is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpellTower+ free?
SpellTower+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Words in Progress or SpellTower+?
Words in Progress is rated higher. Words in Progress averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while SpellTower+ averages 3.8 from 467 ratings.
Do Words in Progress or SpellTower+ have ads?
Neither Words in Progress nor SpellTower+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Words in Progress or SpellTower+?
Words in Progress ships an update every 5 weeks, and SpellTower+ monthly. Most recently, Words in Progress was updated on September 23, 2026 and SpellTower+ on September 24, 2026.

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