# Pangram vs Joy Square

Pangram and Joy Square both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Joy Square's written reviews are positive against 61% of Pangram's. Joy Square also leads on iOS requirement (14.4 vs 16.0). Pangram's advantage is ratings volume (4.4K vs 7) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pangram sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 2 months and Joy Square sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Joy Square holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pangram has 4.4K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Pangram's written reviews are positive against 100% of Joy Square's.

Pangram ships an update fortnightly, Joy Square every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pangram | Joy Square |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pangram/id1493066702/reviews) | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joy-square/id1563429096/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 61.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Russell Neufeld](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493066701) | [Alexander Fedoseev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1460449487) |

## What reviewers say

### Pangram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pangram/id1493066702)

A word-making game where you create words using letters on a board, with each word needing to include a central letter. Customize game settings like the number of letters and minimum word length. Share games with friends or play public games with leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Make words from letters, Must include center letter, Customize game settings, Share games with friends, Play public games, Leaderboards for shared games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| M-W Games - 2 months | $0.99 | per 2 months |
| M-W Games - 6 months | $1.99 | per 6 months |
| M-W Games - 1 year | $2.99 | per year |
| Publish Public Games - 20 pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Games for watchOS | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Games for iOS | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Customizable game settings
- 💡 Public games and leaderboards
- 👍 Affordable pricing model
- 👍 Responsive developer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent word recognition
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs after updates
- 🤔 Inclusion of obscure/foreign words
- 📱 Compatibility issues on older devices
- 🤔 Lack of clear game objectives

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to create custom games
- Unresponsive controls and overlapping UI elements
- Leaderboard and account sync issues
- Crashes and white screen after updates

**Requested features**

- Option to view missed words alphabetically
- Ability to delete multiple games at once
- Integration with friends/teams for competitive play
- More consistent dictionary and word definitions


### Joy Square

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joy-square/id1563429096)

A puzzle game designed to enhance your attention span by challenging you to locate and track a solid square against the clock. Compete globally for high scores and enjoy a fun, engaging experience. A premium version offers additional content and features.

**Highlights:** Attention improvement, Locate and track solid squares, Timed gameplay for maximum points, Global leaderboard competition, Playable on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, Complete level packs (Premium)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Access | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pangram free?

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

### Is Joy Square free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pangram or Joy Square?

Joy Square is rated higher. Pangram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Joy Square averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.

### Do Pangram or Joy Square have ads?

Neither Pangram nor Joy Square shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pangram or Joy Square?

Pangram ships an update fortnightly, and Joy Square every 2 months. Most recently, Pangram was updated on October 13, 2026 and Joy Square on September 30, 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.*