WordWheel vs Retrogram
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
WordWheel
Engage in a fast-paced word game where you strategically form words to advance through levels and maximize scores. Manage limited vowels and earn in-game coins to continue your word adventure. Compete locally and collect achievements in short, engaging gameplay sessions.
- Quick-paced word creation
- Strategic scoring with multipliers
- Limited vowel management
- Achievement collection
- Local leaderboard competition
- Short, 3-4 minute gameplay sessions
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Embark on a thrilling word adventure with our quick-paced and addictive mobile game! Challenge yourself to create sets of words that propel you through exhilarating levels. Strategize to maximize your scores by forming longer words, which serve as multipliers for your next moves. In this game, each letter carries a distinct value, rewarding swift and strategic word formation. Manage your resources wisely as you have a limited supply of vowels—use them judiciously or earn more through in-game coins, obtainable by conquering levels and discovering bonus methods. Keep an eye out for achievements that test your word prowess and aim to dominate the local leaderboard. Enjoy the convenience of short, 3-4 minute gameplay sessions, perfect for quick breaks anytime, anywhere! Key Features: • Quick-Paced Gameplay: Engage in fast and exciting word creation. • Easy to Play: Simply create sets of words to progress through levels. • Multiplier Bonuses: Form bigger words to multiply your score for the next word. • Strategic Scoring: Each letter has a value – the faster you form words, the higher your score. • Limited Vowels Challenge: Manage your vowels wisely. Use them up, and you'll need to buy more with in-game coins earned by completing levels. • Achievement Hunt: Collect all achievements and show off your word prowess. • Local Leaderboard: Track your scores and compete with friends locally. • Casual Fun: Perfect for quick sessions, each game lasts around 3-4 minutes. • No In-App Purchases: Enjoy the full game without spending a dime. • Device Compatibility: Scales to fit any screen size, compatible with all phones and tablets. Why You’ll Love It: Our word game is designed to be the perfect casual game for quick breaks. Whether you have a few minutes or a long commute, our game offers engaging gameplay that fits your schedule. Need Help? If you encounter any issues, please ensure your app is updated to the latest version or contact the developer for assistance. Download now and start your word adventure today!
Retrogram
Challenge your vocabulary with a daily word puzzle. Create as many words as possible from seven letters. Enjoy a stylish, retro-themed experience designed to sharpen your mind and introduce you to new words.
- Daily hand-made puzzles
- Solve puzzles together via SharePlay
- Apple Watch compatibility
- No ads
- Discover new words
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Think you’re a word nerd? Put your vocabulary to the test with new word puzzles every day Retrogram is a love letter to the 1970s — a cozy collection of handcrafted word games, curious words and satisfying puzzles to make part of your daily routine PLAY EVERY DAY SPELLOTRON Make as many words as you can using seven letters. Find the pangram, climb the ranks and discover interesting stories behind some of your favorite words WORDWAY Build a bridge of words from one word to another. Use the letters you’re given and find a path across the board THERE’S MORE Subscribe to Retrogram to catch up on the past week of daily puzzles, explore the Puzzle Vault, play limited-edition bonus packs, switch things up with vintage app icons, and play after dark with Neon Nites FEATURES * Two handcrafted word puzzles every day * Play today’s Spellotron and Wordway puzzles for free * Catch up on the past seven days * A growing Vault of bonus puzzles * Limited-edition puzzle packs * Neon Nites dark theme * Vintage alternate app icons * SharePlay — solve together over FaceTime * Play Spellotron on your Apple Watch * No ads, ever Additional details Privacy policy: https://retrogram.app/#privacy Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Retrogram at 66% against WordWheel's 0%. Retrogram also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.0) and ads (none vs shown). WordWheel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, update cadence and device support 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
Both are free to download. Retrogram sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. WordWheel asks for nothing beyond the download.
Retrogram holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retrogram has 320 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of WordWheel's written reviews are positive against 66% of Retrogram's.
WordWheel ships an update every 5 weeks, Retrogram every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 10, 2026.
| Parameter | WordWheel | Retrogram |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.0 (1 ratings) | 4.4 (320 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 66.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 320 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 99 MB | 145 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wayne Perry | in Color |
Customer experience
WordWheel
Retrogram
Bugs and requests
WordWheel
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Retrogram
Reported bugs
7 issues- Words marked as missed that were actually found
- Puzzle letters changing when spinning the wheel
- Apple Watch app no longer functioning
- Game progress deletion without explanation
- Inconsistent word acceptance across different puzzles
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- Hint feature disappeared in recent updates
- Contact support only available through Apple Mail
Requested features
10 requests- Access to previous/archived puzzles
- Multiple puzzles per day or puzzle difficulty levels
- Statistics tracking (completion rate, pangram frequency)
- Hint system that doesn't impact streak
- Word find rate percentages for context
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- Immediate answer reveal after puzzle completion
- Cheaper one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- In-game dispute method for word validation
- Apple Watch functionality restoration
- Automatic daily prefix posting on social media
In-app purchases
WordWheel
No in-app purchases
Retrogram
- Daily Puzzle (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Daily Puzzle (Yearly)$29.991 Year
- Where in the World$3.99
- 80s Dinner Party$4.99
- Gaming Icons$4.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Stone Cold$4.99
- Flower Power$4.99
- Dear Reader$4.99
- Outer Rim$4.99
- Daily Puzzle (For Life)$49.99









