Comparison

Word Forward vs Sootly

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

Head to head
About

Word Forward

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
Currently charting
Read full description

The #1 Word Game! Played by millions! “Equally a brain-teaser and a brain-pleaser” - MacWorld “An excellent buy for solo players” - TechRadar “A really fun and well-executed word game” - PocketGamer Beautifully simple. Endlessly challenging. Word Forward is the word puzzle game where every choice matters. Can you use all of the letters in the 5x5 grid to make words disappear and clear the board? Word Forward isn’t about spelling the longest words or the most clever - it’s about carefully using every tile to declare victory in 500 puzzles. It requires cunning and strategy -- Word Forward is a brain teaser that will really make you think! • SPELL words by tracing a line between tiles in any direction, including diagonally • SWAP any two letters on the grid by using a SWAP TOKEN, earned during gameplay • JUMBLE the tiles on the grid to replace all the letters with new ones when all else fails • CHANGE the letter on a tile to any other letter you choose using the SWAP MODIFIER • ELIMINATE stubborn tiles with BOMBS to get yourself out of a tight spot The latest brain-tingling puzzle game from the creators of Block Droppin Blitz.

About

Sootly

Engage your mind with a daily logic and word puzzle. Discover the correct six-letter word by combining clues and improving your guesses before you run out of tries. Challenge friends and track your progress.

Highlights
  • Daily logic and word puzzles
  • Six-letter word guessing
  • Clue-based gameplay
  • Social leaderboards
  • Custom puzzle creation
  • Performance tracking
  • Dark and grayscale modes
Read full description

Sootly is a daily logic puzzle that will challenge and surprise you! Your vocabulary, working memory, and logical thinking skills will be put to the test as you try to discover the right word before you run out of guesses. HOW TO PLAY - Type and submit a six-letter word - You’ll get a clue about each pair of letters - Combine clues to improve your guesses - Submit the right word before you run out of tries - Share your results and challenge your friends! FEATURES - No ads, subscriptions, paywalls, or daily limits - 2,400 daily puzzles included - Social leaderboard: add your friends and compare scores on the daily puzzle - 16 earnable achievements - Create your own puzzles and share them with friends - Play a random puzzle anytime - Track your performance over time on the Stats page - Dark mode and grayscale mode for sensitive eyes

Screenshots

Word Forward4 screens
Sootly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sootly at Free against Word Forward's $2.99. Sootly also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Word Forward's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#113 vs unranked). On ratings volume 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

Sootly is free to download; Word Forward costs $2.99 up front. Sootly sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Word Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sootly holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Word Forward's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sootly's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Word Forward ships an update every 6 weeks, Sootly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Word Forward versus Sootly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWord ForwardSootly
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (11 ratings)4.8 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1122 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#113 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size122 MB29 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperThalamus Digital Publishing Ltd.Isaac Lyman

Customer experience

Word Forward

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative23.5%

Sootly

All ratings22 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Word Forward

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Sootly

One-time3
  • Feedback - No Reply Needed$4.99
  • Feedback - Reply by Email$19.99
  • Feedback - Public Reply$59.99

Questions

Is Word Forward free?
Word Forward costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sootly free?
Sootly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Word Forward or Sootly?
Sootly is rated higher. Word Forward averages 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Sootly averages 4.8 from 22 ratings.
Do Word Forward or Sootly have ads?
Neither Word Forward nor Sootly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Word Forward or Sootly?
Word Forward ships an update every 6 weeks, and Sootly every 2 weeks. Most recently, Word Forward was updated on October 15, 2026 and Sootly on October 4, 2026.

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