# Word Forward vs Knotwords

The clearest difference is price: Knotwords at Free against Word Forward's $2.99. Knotwords also leads on ratings volume (8.2K vs 11) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Word Forward's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#111 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Knotwords is free to download; Word Forward costs $2.99 up front. Knotwords sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Word Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

Knotwords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Knotwords has 8.2K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Word Forward's written reviews are positive against 73% of Knotwords's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Word Forward ships an update every 6 weeks, Knotwords every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Word Forward | Knotwords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-forward/id1454290016/reviews) | **[4.8 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/knotwords/id1598756238/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **8.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.5% of reviews** | 73.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#111** | — |
| Size | 122 MB | 507 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 13.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thalamus Digital Publishing Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476360840) | [Zach Gage](https://appshunter.io/developer/294263418) |

## What reviewers say

### Word Forward

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-forward/id1454290016)

**Currently charting:** #111 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

This word puzzle game challenges players to clear a 5x5 grid by forming words. It requires strategic use of every letter tile to solve 500 unique puzzles, offering an endlessly challenging brain teaser.

**Highlights:** Spell words by tracing lines, Swap letters with tokens, Jumble tiles for new letters, Change letters with modifiers, Eliminate tiles with bombs, Solve 500 puzzles

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Knotwords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/knotwords/id1598756238)

A daily word puzzle game that challenges you to arrange letters into valid words across and down. Its minimal design and intuitive progression make it an engaging and accessible brain teaser.

**Highlights:** Minimalist and elegant design, Logic-based word puzzles, Daily challenges, Intuitive progression system, Valid word arrangement

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knotwords Pro subscription | $4.99 | per year |
| Full Game | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Fun and challenging
- 🚀 Simple but engaging
- 👍 Unique concept
- 👍 Addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Buggy cursor/input issues
- 🐛 Slow performance
- 🐛 Questionable word choices
- 🔋 Battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles with missing/incorrect squares
- Incorrect words being accepted
- Puzzles not properly credited as completed
- Hints not matching the correct answers

**Requested features**

- Ability to turn off haptic feedback
- Improved cursor/input behavior
- Cloud sync across devices
- Difficulty settings
- Ability to see definitions of completed words


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Word Forward free?

Word Forward costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Knotwords free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Word Forward or Knotwords?

Knotwords is rated higher. Word Forward averages 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Knotwords averages 4.8 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do Word Forward or Knotwords have ads?

Neither Word Forward nor Knotwords shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Word Forward or Knotwords?

Word Forward ships an update every 6 weeks, and Knotwords every 10 days. Most recently, Word Forward was updated on October 24, 2026 and Knotwords on October 23, 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.*