# Alias vs Explain the Word

The clearest difference is rating: Alias at 4.9 against Explain the Word's 1.0. Alias also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 1) and chart position (#167 vs unranked). Explain the Word's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 31). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Alias sells 31 one-off in-app purchases. Explain the Word asks for nothing beyond the download.

Alias holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alias has 1.8K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Alias's written reviews are positive against 100% of Explain the Word's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Alias ships an update every 2 months, Explain the Word monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alias | Explain the Word |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alias-board-game/id1195014784/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explain-the-word/id6618111157/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 93.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#167** | — |
| Size | 115 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ArGames](https://appshunter.io/developer/1810651723) | [Vitalii Vovchok](https://appshunter.io/developer/1627248500) |

## What reviewers say

### Alias

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alias-board-game/id1195014784)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Free · Trivia (US App Store)

This party game challenges players to explain words to their teammates, who then guess them. It's a fun way to boost vocabulary and associative thinking while playing with friends.

**Highlights:** Explain words to teammates, Guess words explained by others, Increase vocabulary, Improve associative thinking, Themed word sets, Play with friends or in pairs

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

**In-app purchases (31)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fairy tales | $0.29 | one-time |
| Мифы | $0.29 | one-time |
| Короткие слова | $0.29 | one-time |
| Collocations | $0.29 | one-time |
| The game of the thrones | $0.29 | one-time |
| Sport | $0.29 | one-time |
| Music | $0.29 | one-time |
| Царство животных | $0.29 | one-time |
| Dota 2 | $0.29 | one-time |
| Marvel Universe | $0.29 | one-time |
| Вселенная DC | $0.29 | one-time |
| Professions | $0.29 | one-time |
| TV & cinema | $0.29 | one-time |
| Tasty words | $0.29 | one-time |
| Хайп | $0.29 | one-time |
| Harry Potter | $0.39 | one-time |
| Famous people | $0.39 | one-time |
| Travel | $0.39 | one-time |
| For programmers | $0.39 | one-time |
| 18+ | $0.99 | one-time |
| Geek Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Language & Words | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fantasy & Big Universes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Family pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| World Around | $0.99 | one-time |
| Memes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pop Culture | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cinema | $0.99 | one-time |
| No Boundaries | $1.99 | one-time |
| All word packs | $3.99 | one-time |
| All Packs You Need | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for group activities
- 🤣 Hilarious and engaging
- 🧠 Expands knowledge and vocabulary
- 🎉 Great for parties and social gatherings
- 👥 Brings people together

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Too many paid content packs
- 🔁 Repetitive word choices
- 🤯 Can cause arguments/disagreements
- 🤕 Leads to broken friendships

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Compatibility issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- More free word packs
- Ability to create custom word lists
- Multiplayer/online gameplay
- Language selection options
- Difficulty settings


### Explain the Word

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/explain-the-word/id6618111157)

A thrilling word guessing game for parties and gatherings. Players must describe a word without using forbidden terms, adding a creative challenge. Suitable for various settings and skill levels, it offers endless fun for groups.

**Highlights:** Forbidden word challenges, Multiple difficulty levels, Supports multiple languages, Team or competitive play, Combines quiz, charades, and word game elements

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alias free?

Alias is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Explain the Word free?

Explain the Word is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Alias or Explain the Word?

Alias is rated higher. Alias averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Explain the Word averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Alias or Explain the Word have ads?

Neither Alias nor Explain the Word shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alias or Explain the Word?

Alias ships an update every 2 months, and Explain the Word monthly. Most recently, Alias was updated on October 24, 2026 and Explain the Word on October 24, 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.*