Comparison

Typeshift vs Molecano

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

Molecano

Embark on a word-based adventure to help a mole navigate volcanic landscapes. String words together to create bridges and collect food across challenging lava-filled levels. This unique puzzle game offers a relaxing experience with a cool soundtrack and unlockable characters.

Highlights
  • Unique word puzzle gameplay
  • 500+ levels
  • Unlockable characters
  • Chill soundtrack
  • Word-based bridge creation
Features
Read full description

Molecano is an all-new word puzzle game from the creator of Dadish! Help Molene the mole explore volcanoes using words as a bridge. String words together so Molene can cross safely and collect all the delicious food strewn across the lava loaded levels. • A unique and challenging word puzzle game • 500 levels, with more to come • From the creator of Dadish and Super Fowlst • Cool characters to unlock • Playing this game will make you smart, probably • A good game for people who know some words • A chill soundtrack • Relax and unwind... in a volcano!

Screenshots

Typeshift4 screens
Molecano4 screens

Verdict

The call

Typeshift and Molecano both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Molecano's written reviews are positive against 50% of Typeshift's. Molecano also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). Typeshift's advantage is ratings volume (499 vs 109). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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 Molecano sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Typeshift against 4.3 for Molecano. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 499 and 109 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Typeshift's written reviews are positive against 85% of Molecano's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Typeshift ships an update every 6 weeks, Molecano every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Typeshift versus Molecano: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTypeshiftMolecano
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (499 ratings)4.3 (109 ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.6% of reviews85.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings499 — better109
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZach GageThomas Young

Customer experience

Typeshift

All ratings497 ratings
Positive80.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative11.3%
Written reviews228 reviews
Positive49.6%
Neutral17.1%
Negative33.3%

Molecano

All ratings109 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral9.2%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive85.4%
Neutral7.9%
Negative6.7%

User reviews

Typeshift

From 499 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

Molecano

From 109 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Unique and innovative word puzzle concept
  • 🎨 Charming art style and visual design
  • 🎵 Calming, relaxing lo-fi music
  • 😌 Relaxing and stress-relieving gameplay
  • 👥 Collectible characters from other games

Room to improve

  • 📺 Too many ads despite being fewer than competitors
  • 💰 Expensive ad removal cost
  • 🐢 Slow character movement animation
  • 📱 Game map too small on phone screens
  • 🎮 Becomes repetitive after extended play

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

Molecano

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • Level 137 - character won't move after placing letters
  • Level 311 - multiple reports of unsolvable/broken level
  • Level 339 - reported as extremely difficult/possibly broken
  • Level 480 - appears to have no solution
  • Level 464 - reported as impossible to pass
Show 3 more
  • Early levels (around level 5) - unresponsive words
  • Word extension not working consistently
  • Hint system not helpful for difficult levels

Requested features

15 requests
  • More levels beyond level 500
  • Larger game map for mobile devices
  • Ability to rotate words 360 degrees
  • Replay previous completed levels
  • Game Center/cloud save compatibility
Show 10 more
  • Star rating system for level performance
  • Coin rewards based on performance stars
  • Cheaper character options (50-100 coins)
  • Faster character movement speed
  • In-game dictionary function
  • Expanded word dictionary validation
  • Ability to make intersecting words like Scrabble
  • Hint system improvements
  • Support for multiple languages
  • Special interactive elements (fruits/vegetables)

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
1 purchases

Molecano

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$5.99

Questions

Is Typeshift free?
Typeshift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Molecano free?
Molecano is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Typeshift or Molecano?
Molecano is rated higher. Typeshift averages 4.3 out of 5 from 499 ratings, while Molecano averages 4.3 from 109 ratings.
Do Typeshift or Molecano have ads?
Both Typeshift and Molecano show ads.
Which is updated more often, Typeshift or Molecano?
Typeshift ships an update every 6 weeks, and Molecano every 3 weeks. Most recently, Typeshift was updated on November 6, 2026 and Molecano on November 4, 2026.

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