Comparison

Scrolling Words vs Planetoids Vortex

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

Head to head
About

Scrolling Words

This word puzzle game challenges your vocabulary and quick thinking. Find target words from scrolling letters within a time limit, using clues and power-ups to aid your search. Enjoy over 1000 levels with daily puzzles and customizable themes.

Highlights
  • Find words from scrolling letters
  • Timed levels with increasing difficulty
  • Category-based word searches
  • Hints and Freeze power-ups
  • Daily puzzles
  • Crazy Challenge mode
  • Customizable themes
Features
Read full description

New one-of-a-kind brain challenging word search game to improve your vocabulary. Scrolling Words is a new kind of word game. It is an incredible brain challenging innovation of crossword puzzle game. Easy to play and makes learning fun. Unlike other word games, the great challenge for you in Scrolling Words is to find all target words of the same category from scrolling letters. Countdown and the scrolling speed also increase your challenge difficulty. Can’t wait to challenge? Download this new word game and start your quest now! HOW TO PLAY ► Search words from scrolling letters. ► Swipe all associated target words before time runs out. ► You can get a clue from the particular topic of each level. ► Use HINT to find the initials of the words. ► Use FREEZE to slow down the scrolling speed. ► Featured DAILY PUZZLE for you. Start your daily challenge to gain energy. ► If you think you are a word expert, just try CRAZY CHALLENGE mode and see how many words you can find in a limited time. ► Change THEMES and SCENERY to refresh your eyes. This is a word game which is harder than it looks. More than 1000 levels are waiting for you. How far can you go?

About

Planetoids Vortex

Features
Read full description

Planetoids is a pixel-art arcade shooter for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. One ship. Endless asteroids. How long can you last? Inspired by the timeless Atari Asteroids, Planetoids brings the classic formula into the modern Apple ecosystem with a colour-coded asteroid system, power-up pickups, enemy saucers, and boss waves — all wrapped in a distinctive retro pixel aesthetic. THE FIELD Five asteroid colours. Each one behaves differently. Red moves fast. Green splits into three. Purple hunts you at close range. Orange drops power-ups when destroyed. Yellow blinds you on impact. Learning what each colour means — and adjusting your strategy accordingly — is the game within the game. YOUR SHIP Newtonian physics. No brakes. Thrust in one direction and you keep moving until you thrust the other way. Mastering your momentum is the entire skill of Planetoids. It takes minutes to learn and years to perfect. ENEMY SAUCERS Two types. The Large Saucer fires randomly — dangerous through bad luck alone. The Small Saucer aims directly at you with accuracy that improves every level. At 1,000 points it is the highest-value target in the game. It is also trying to kill you. POWER-UPS Spread Shot. Rapid Fire. Shield. Speed Boost. Score Multiplier. Five pickups drop from destroyed asteroids. Each lasts seconds. Each can turn a losing situation into a winning one — or tempt you into a mistake. BOSS WAVES Every five levels, a single enormous Planet Asteroid replaces the normal wave. Five hits to crack it open. Four large asteroids explode from the wreckage. The field is not clear when the boss breaks — it is just beginning. FEATURES • Gamepad support on all platforms — MFi, Xbox Series, PlayStation DualSense • Keyboard support on Mac — full arrow key and WASD • Touch controls on iPhone and iPad when no gamepad is connected • Windowed and fullscreen modes on Mac • Game Center leaderboards — All-Time, Weekly, and Highest Level • 17 achievements including secret challenges • iCloud sync — your high score follows you across every device • Dynamic Island support on iPhone 14 Pro and later • Haptic feedback on iPhone and iPad • No ads. No in-app purchases. No subscriptions. A NOTE ON DIFFICULTY Planetoids does not end. There is no final level, no credits sequence, no congratulation screen. The waves keep coming and they keep getting harder. The goal is simply to survive longer than you did last time. Every death is survivable in retrospect. The field is always fair. How far can you go?

Screenshots

Scrolling Words4 screens
Planetoids Vortex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Planetoids Vortex at none against Scrolling Words's 1. Planetoids Vortex also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). Scrolling Words's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Scrolling Words sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Planetoids Vortex asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scrolling Words ships an update every 3 weeks, Planetoids Vortex every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Scrolling Words versus Planetoids Vortex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScrolling WordsPlanetoids Vortex
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (2.7K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.7K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperASTER PLAYAlphaworks

Bugs and requests

Scrolling Words

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect word recognition in some cases
  • Levels not loading properly for some users
  • Ads failing to close or causing crashes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Customizable difficulty levels
  • Option to remove ads for a one-time fee
  • Ability to track personal progress and stats
  • Inclusion of more common/familiar words

Planetoids Vortex

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Scrolling Words

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99
None

Planetoids Vortex

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scrolling Words free?
Scrolling Words is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Planetoids Vortex free?
Planetoids Vortex is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Scrolling Words or Planetoids Vortex have ads?
Scrolling Words shows ads; Planetoids Vortex does not.
Which is updated more often, Scrolling Words or Planetoids Vortex?
Scrolling Words ships an update every 3 weeks, and Planetoids Vortex every 10 days. Most recently, Scrolling Words was updated on September 23, 2026 and Planetoids Vortex on September 10, 2026.

Other comparisons