Comparison

Typeshift vs Downwordly

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

Head to head
About

Typeshift

This word puzzle game challenges you to unscramble letters within stacked words to form new words in the center row. It offers daily challenges with global leaderboards and special clue-based puzzles. Unlock additional content and remove ads with in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Anagram and word search mechanics
  • Shift letter columns to spell words
  • Daily challenges with leaderboards
  • Special clue puzzles
  • Unlockable puzzle packs
  • Themes and statistics
Features
Read full description

From the creator of SpellTower, comes a new and completely original word game! Anagrams meets Word Search, with a sprinkle of Crosswords. Typeshift is the modern anagram puzzle; re-imagined from the ground up, combining wordplay, modern game design, and a mobile-first approach. In most anagram games, you search for new combinations within a single word, but in Typeshift, you search within three to five words stacked & scrambled up together. Shift columns of letters up and down as you try to spell words in the center row. Play continues until you have used all letters in a puzzle at least once. Special Clue Puzzles combine Crosswords with Anagrams as you match clever clues provided by Typeshift's various puzzle authors. - Daily Word Game Play with Global Leaderboards - Typeshift features a free daily challenge with global leaderboards. The easiest challenge for the week appears on Monday, and progressively more challenging puzzles build throughout the week. Compare your fastest Typeshift daily solving times with players around the globe! ------WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING "Addictive and edifying, like popping a special kind of bubble wrap that expands your vocabulary.” - The Verge "Typeshift is a unmissable entry to the [word] genre." Gold Award. - Pocket Gamer "Typeshift is f*cking awesome" - Giant Bombcast "The Word Puzzle Game You've Been Waiting For" - Waypoint "Well worth your time" - Sixcolors ------WHATS IN THE “BOX”? Typeshift comes with over a hundred free puzzles, with more coming soon, plus new free daily puzzles every day. Additional puzzle packs may be purchased in-app. Purchasing any puzzle pack removes ads, and unlocks themes & detailed statistics. ------A WORD FROM THE DEVELOPER Typeshift continues my quest to re-imagine classic newspaper games in the digital era. Where SpellTower tackled word search and Really Bad Chess handled chess puzzles, Typeshift re-examines Anagrams and Crosswords. Typeshift has been a joy to develop, and I hope you have as much fun playing it as I had making it. As always, thanks so much for your support! -zach

About

Downwordly

A word building game where you strategically use available letters to form the longest possible words. Engage in turn-based multiplayer or test your skills in various solo modes, including daily challenges and puzzle-solving.

Highlights
  • Word building with limited letters
  • Turn-based multiplayer
  • Solo play modes
  • Daily challenges
  • Puzzle mode
  • Leaderboards
Features
Read full description

Downwordly is a word building game that challenges you to make the most out of the letters you have. Not all letters you see are playable! Use your intellect to find the best word you can make while also planning for the future. Play against your GameCenter friends in turn-based multiplayer! Play solo with an endless stack of letters! Try searching for words in Puzzle mode! Work your way through a new set of 5 layers of tiles every day in the Daily Challenge! See how you stack up against your friends and the world on the leaderboards. ========= LAYER TWO ========= • Solo Versus - Test your skills against four different difficulties of computer opponents. • 50 new Puzzles • 8 new themes • Customize your theme and app icon • Compete on 2 new leaderboards What's the longest word you can make?

Screenshots

Typeshift4 screens
Downwordly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Downwordly at none against Typeshift's shown. Downwordly also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Typeshift sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Downwordly sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Downwordly holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 497 and 756 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Typeshift's written reviews are positive against 74% of Downwordly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Typeshift ships an update every 6 weeks, Downwordly every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Typeshift versus Downwordly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTypeshiftDownwordly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (497 ratings)4.7 (756 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.3% of reviews74.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings497756 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB90 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZach GageBird Cartel LLC

Customer experience

Typeshift

All ratings497 ratings
Positive80.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews211 reviews
Positive49.3%
Neutral17.5%
Negative33.2%

Downwordly

All ratings756 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral4.0%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral13.0%
Negative13.0%

User reviews

Typeshift

From 497 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Challenging and fun
  • 👍 Unique and innovative game concept
  • ⭐ Great brain workout
  • 🎨 Elegant and minimalistic design
  • 📚 Helps expand vocabulary

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🔍 Obscure/uncommon words used
  • 🔇 Intrusive ads
  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • ⚠️ Compatibility issues with newer devices

Downwordly

From 756 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun games
  • 🚀 Unique and challenging
  • 👍 Visually pleasing
  • 👍 Relaxing and strategic
  • 👍 Addictive and engaging

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes when offline
  • 🐛 Multiplayer issues
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🐛 Confusing tutorial
  • 🐛 Certain puzzles unsolvable

Bugs and requests

Typeshift

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Puzzle timer inaccuracies
  • Purchased content not restoring properly
  • Letters not registering correctly
  • Puzzles not displaying properly on some devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • More clue puzzles and puzzle packs
  • Option to reset/replay completed puzzle packs
  • Sync progress across devices
  • Support for British/Australian English
  • Built-in dictionary with better word definitions

Downwordly

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Multiplayer games not showing up correctly
  • Rewind arrow causing game to get stuck
  • Puzzle mode issues with overlapping words
  • Endless mode not dropping enough letters

Requested features

6 requests
  • Auto-orientation for iPad
  • Dark theme option
  • Leaderboards for Endless mode
  • Hints for Puzzle mode
  • Ability to restart Daily Challenge
Show 1 more
  • Improved multiplayer experience

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Typeshift

One-time10
  • Chocolate Puzzle Pack$0.99
  • Peppermint Puzzle Pack$0.99
  • Pecan Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Walnut Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
  • Parmesan Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
  • Umami Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
  • Pistachio Clue Puzzle Pack$1.99
  • Starter Bundle$1.99
  • Sophomore Bundle$1.99
  • Gumshoe Clue Bundle$3.99
2 purchases

Downwordly

One-time2
  • Multiplayer+$1.99
  • Layer Two$2.99

Questions

Is Typeshift free?
Typeshift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Downwordly free?
Downwordly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Typeshift or Downwordly?
Downwordly is rated higher. Typeshift averages 4.3 out of 5 from 497 ratings, while Downwordly averages 4.7 from 756 ratings.
Do Typeshift or Downwordly have ads?
Typeshift shows ads; Downwordly does not.
Which is updated more often, Typeshift or Downwordly?
Typeshift ships an update every 6 weeks, and Downwordly every 4 days. Most recently, Typeshift was updated on September 25, 2026 and Downwordly on September 5, 2026.

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