# GUBBINS vs Shiftogram

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shiftogram at none against GUBBINS's 10. Shiftogram also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 73%). GUBBINS's advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 7). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GUBBINS sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Shiftogram asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shiftogram holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GUBBINS has 1.7K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of GUBBINS's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shiftogram's.

GUBBINS ships an update every 4 weeks, Shiftogram every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GUBBINS | Shiftogram |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiftogram/id6763770326/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 72.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 614 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Studio Folly Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1701745197) | [Bradley Frizzell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721811949) |

## What reviewers say

### GUBBINS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gubbins-its-a-word-game/id1551894081)

A friendly word puzzle game where you build words using tiles and special modifiers called Gubbins. Navigate a charming world with quirky characters that can help or hinder your progress.

**Highlights:** Tile-based word construction, Wildcard Gubbins modifiers, Charming cartoon characters, Minimalist typography, Moreish wordplay

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Planet Gubbin | Free | one-time |
| Giant Postcard Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Punctuation Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| The Travel Gubbins Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Space Gubbins Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Infinite Play | $5.99 | one-time |
| The Space Punc Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Space Travel Bundle | $7.49 | one-time |
| Launch Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| The Chonkiest Bundle | $13.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Charming art style
- 🎶 Wonderful sound design
- 🎮 Engaging and unique gameplay
- 🎁 One-time purchase model
- 🤝 Supports charity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free play
- 🤔 Restrictive dictionary
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🤯 Frustrating Gubbins
- 🤷‍♀️ Unclear game mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Tiles becoming unplayable after certain Gubbins
- Daily puzzle not updating correctly
- Inconsistent behavior of rotation and placement
- Crashes and performance issues on older devices

**Requested features**

- Word validity checker
- Multiplayer mode
- Customizable Gubbins selection
- Leaderboards and stats tracking
- Ability to revisit completed puzzles


### Shiftogram

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiftogram/id6763770326)

This game offers a unique 4x4 mini-crossword experience where clues are randomized. Solve the clue, then strategically drag and drop letter tiles to fit words into the grid. A new puzzle is available daily to maintain your playing streak.

**Highlights:** 4x4 mini-crossword puzzles, Randomized clue order, Drag-and-drop tile placement, Daily new puzzles, Streak building

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GUBBINS free?

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

### Is Shiftogram free?

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

### Which has better reviews, GUBBINS or Shiftogram?

Shiftogram is rated higher. GUBBINS averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Shiftogram averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do GUBBINS or Shiftogram have ads?

GUBBINS shows ads; Shiftogram does not.

### Which is updated more often, GUBBINS or Shiftogram?

GUBBINS ships an update every 4 weeks, and Shiftogram every 2 weeks. Most recently, GUBBINS was updated on October 25, 2026 and Shiftogram on October 24, 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.*