# Pangram vs ContraBee

The clearest difference is rating: Pangram at 4.7 against ContraBee's 4.0. Pangram also leads on review sentiment (62% vs 24%) and ratings volume (4.4K vs 4). ContraBee's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pangram sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 2 months. ContraBee asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pangram holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pangram has 4.4K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Pangram's written reviews are positive against 24% of ContraBee's.

Pangram ships an update fortnightly, ContraBee every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pangram | ContraBee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pangram/id1493066702/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrabee/id6478916549/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **61.7% of reviews** | 23.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Russell Neufeld](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493066701) | [Lexi Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1734406255) |

## 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


### ContraBee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrabee/id6478916549)

This app offers a daily word puzzle using the same letter hive as the New York Times Spelling Bee. It challenges players to find words without using the required center letter, encouraging a different approach to word discovery.

**Highlights:** Daily word puzzles, Uses NYT Spelling Bee letter hive, Excludes center letter, Encourages alternative word finding, Unique puzzle twist

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pangram free?

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

### Is ContraBee free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pangram or ContraBee?

Pangram is rated higher. Pangram averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while ContraBee averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Pangram or ContraBee have ads?

Neither Pangram nor ContraBee shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pangram or ContraBee?

Pangram ships an update fortnightly, and ContraBee every 2 weeks. Most recently, Pangram was updated on September 24, 2026 and ContraBee on July 5, 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.*