# Listen vs Decoding Word Puzzle

The clearest difference is rating: Decoding Word Puzzle at 4.9 against Listen's 3.1. Decoding Word Puzzle also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (11K vs 12). Listen's advantage is review sentiment (44% vs 27%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Decoding Word Puzzle holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decoding Word Puzzle has 11K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 44% of Listen's written reviews are positive against 27% of Decoding Word Puzzle's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Listen ships an update every 6 weeks, Decoding Word Puzzle daily. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Listen | Decoding Word Puzzle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/listen-auditory-training/id1031353626/reviews) | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decoding-word-puzzle/id6747968388/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **11K** |
| Positive reviews | **44.4% of reviews** | 27.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 129 MB | 255 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Northeastern University Information Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/455790172) | [Peace Word Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1787839993) |

## What reviewers say

### Listen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/listen-auditory-training/id1031353626)

This game trains your hearing by presenting sound cues that you must respond to correctly to navigate obstacles and absorb energy. It uses adaptive algorithms to adjust difficulty to your individual performance level, based on principles of perceptual learning and auditory neuroscience.

**Highlights:** Auditory training game, Perceptual learning principles, Reward-based framework, Adaptive difficulty algorithms, Sound cue response, Brain fitness

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Decoding Word Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decoding-word-puzzle/id6747968388)

Engage your mind with a word puzzle game featuring quotes from famous figures, literature, and movies. Solve creatively designed levels with hints and letter matching, enhanced by beautiful hand-drawn art and an unfolding narrative.

**Highlights:** Quote-based puzzles, Word creation and letter matching, Contextual hints, Hand-drawn artwork, Narrative mode, Daily challenges

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Relaxing and mentally challenging
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔥 Overloaded with ads
- 🐛 Buggy and unresponsive touch interface
- 🔋 Poor performance and battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Forced to restart from beginning after update
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- More puzzle content
- Option to disable ads


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Listen free?

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

### Is Decoding Word Puzzle free?

Decoding Word Puzzle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Listen or Decoding Word Puzzle?

Decoding Word Puzzle is rated higher. Listen averages 3.1 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Decoding Word Puzzle averages 4.9 from 11K ratings.

### Do Listen or Decoding Word Puzzle have ads?

Neither Listen nor Decoding Word Puzzle shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Listen or Decoding Word Puzzle?

Listen ships an update every 6 weeks, and Decoding Word Puzzle daily. Most recently, Listen was updated on October 2, 2026 and Decoding Word Puzzle on October 20, 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.*