# Spelling Bee vs ContraBee

The clearest difference is rating: Spelling Bee at 4.7 against ContraBee's 4.1. Spelling Bee also leads on review sentiment (54% vs 24%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 weeks). ContraBee's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spelling Bee sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. ContraBee asks for nothing beyond the download.

Spelling Bee holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spelling Bee has 162 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Spelling Bee's written reviews are positive against 24% of ContraBee's.

Spelling Bee ships an update every 5 days, ContraBee every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Spelling Bee | ContraBee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelling-bee-crossword-game/id1505871994/reviews)** | [4.1 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrabee/id6478916549/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **162** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **53.8% of reviews** | 23.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 11.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FunCraft, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482426779) | [Lexi Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1734406255) |

## What reviewers say

### Spelling Bee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelling-bee-crossword-game/id1505871994)

This word game offers a unique hexagon layout where each word must include a required letter. With over 4000 levels, it provides a challenging yet satisfying brain exercise. Explore a vibrant world, use power-ups, and compete on global leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Unique hexagon word puzzle layout, Over 4000 challenging levels, Daily challenge puzzles, Global leaderboards, Power-ups and coin rewards, Play with friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Spelling Bee | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Spelling Bee | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Spelling Bee | $7.99 | per month |
| Spelling Bee | $39.99 | per year |
| A Few Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bee Family | $1.99 | one-time |
| A Pile of Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sweet Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| A Bag of Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Jar of Bees | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tasty Bundle | $12.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Offer! | $12.99 | one-time |
| Smart Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |


### 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 Spelling Bee free?

Spelling Bee 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, Spelling Bee or ContraBee?

Spelling Bee is rated higher. Spelling Bee averages 4.7 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while ContraBee averages 4.1 from 8 ratings.

### Do Spelling Bee or ContraBee have ads?

Neither Spelling Bee nor ContraBee shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Spelling Bee or ContraBee?

Spelling Bee ships an update every 5 days, and ContraBee every 2 weeks. Most recently, Spelling Bee was updated on November 3, 2026 and ContraBee on October 23, 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.*