# Dear Reader vs Squiggle Drop

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Squiggle Drop at 14K against Dear Reader's 572. Squiggle Drop also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Dear Reader's advantage is review sentiment (68% vs 56%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Squiggle Drop holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Squiggle Drop has 14K ratings behind it against 572, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Dear Reader's written reviews are positive against 56% of Squiggle Drop's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, Squiggle Drop monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dear Reader | Squiggle Drop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (572 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172/reviews) | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/squiggle-drop/id1623460434/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 572 | **14K** |
| Positive reviews | **68.4% of reviews** | 56.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 387 MB | 289 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Local No. 12](https://appshunter.io/developer/1169662930) | [Noodlecake](https://appshunter.io/developer/370828169) |

## What reviewers say

### Dear Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172)

Engage with classic literature through unique word puzzles. Unscramble passages, unlock new books, and complete challenges to discover special abilities. This game transforms beloved stories into interactive wordplay experiences.

**Highlights:** Play with over 130 classic books, Unlock dozens of wordplay puzzle types, Acquire new books from a rotating selection, Earn Rare Books by completing goals, Embark on Research missions for abilities, Solve daily word challenges

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging word puzzles
- 📚 Variety of classic books
- 👍 Relaxing gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept of 'playing books'
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and language skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Heavily abridged book excerpts
- 🙄 Repetitive daily challenges
- 💰 Expensive rare books

**Reported bugs**

- Game progress being deleted
- Inability to exit the library
- Crashes when trying to purchase rare books

**Requested features**

- Add more modern and popular book titles
- Option to read full unabridged books
- Dark mode
- Ability to report typos and errors
- More varied and engaging goals/achievements


### Squiggle Drop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/squiggle-drop/id1623460434)

Unleash your creativity to solve physics-based puzzles by drawing a single shape. Explore 100 levels with multiple solutions and build your own city with earned rewards. Regular updates and daily challenges keep the fun going.

**Highlights:** Draw shapes to solve puzzles, 100 unique levels, Build and customize a city, Daily challenges, Leaderboards and achievements, Regular content updates

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Game Controller support, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and entertaining game
- 🧠 Challenging puzzles that stimulate the mind
- 🎶 Relaxing and enjoyable music
- 👍 Simple and intuitive gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤯 Levels require pixel-perfect precision
- 🤔 Hints/solutions don't always work as intended
- 😡 Frustrating when unable to progress due to difficulty
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches

**Reported bugs**

- Achievements resetting or not tracking properly
- Physics issues causing objects to behave unexpectedly
- Drawing inputs not registering correctly

**Requested features**

- More levels and content updates
- Ability to skip or replay levels
- Improved precision controls for touch devices
- Clearer level instructions and objectives


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dear Reader free?

Dear Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Squiggle Drop free?

Squiggle Drop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dear Reader or Squiggle Drop?

Squiggle Drop is rated higher. Dear Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 572 ratings, while Squiggle Drop averages 4.7 from 14K ratings.

### Do Dear Reader or Squiggle Drop have ads?

Neither Dear Reader nor Squiggle Drop shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dear Reader or Squiggle Drop?

Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Squiggle Drop monthly. Most recently, Dear Reader was updated on September 17, 2026 and Squiggle Drop on September 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*