Knotwords vs Sparrows
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Knotwords
A daily word puzzle game that challenges you to arrange letters into valid words across and down. Its minimal design and intuitive progression make it an engaging and accessible brain teaser.
- Minimalist and elegant design
- Logic-based word puzzles
- Daily challenges
- Intuitive progression system
- Valid word arrangement
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Knotwords is a minimal and elegant logic puzzle — with words. The rules are simple: arrange the letters in each section so every word is valid, across and down. Each puzzle may seem difficult at first — but like all my favorite newspaper puzzles, it gets easier as you progress. Each step guides you naturally towards the solution. This is the kind of game I've been trying to make my whole career — I'm amazed Jack and I discovered this design. We hope you like it. -- Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Sparrows
This word puzzle game combines mahjong tile mechanics with spelling challenges. Spell words from letter tiles to earn points, advance through levels, and master various game modes. Enjoy a relaxing or challenging experience with daily goals and power-ups.
- Level progression with star ratings
- Multiple game modes (Timed, Moves, Puzzle)
- Score multipliers for strategic play
- Power-ups to boost scores
- Daily goals and objectives
- Relaxing puzzle mode without a timer
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Sparrows – mahjong tiles meet wordplay! Spell words from letter tiles, earn score multipliers, and conquer challenging puzzles. Advance through levels, earn 1–3 stars, and master increasingly tricky boards. Multiple game modes – Timed, Moves, and Puzzle – keep gameplay fresh and engaging. Key Features: • Level Progression & Star Ratings: Tackle boards and earn 1–3 stars for top performance. • Game Modes: Timed, Moves, and Puzzle for varied challenges. • Score Multipliers: Double and triple letter/word tiles reward strategic play. • Power-Ups: Boost your score and overcome tough boards. • Daily Goals: Complete new objectives each day to stay challenged. • Relaxing, no timer needed – play at your own pace in Puzzle mode. • Plays great on iPhone and iPad. Relax or Compete: Whether you want a calm puzzle session or a fast-paced challenge, Sparrows offers a rewarding word game experience for every player. Download Sparrows Now! Start your wordplay journey, master each board, and enjoy endless mahjong-meets-wordplay fun!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Knotwords at none against Sparrows's shown. Knotwords also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 weeks) and review sentiment (73% vs 58%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Knotwords sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and Sparrows sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Knotwords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Knotwords has 8.2K ratings behind it against 784, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Knotwords's written reviews are positive against 58% of Sparrows's.
Knotwords ships an update every 10 days, Sparrows every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Knotwords | Sparrows |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (8.2K ratings) — better | 4.6 (784 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 73.2% of reviews — better | 58.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8.2K — better | 784 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.6 — better | 15.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 507 MB | 506 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zach Gage | Fluffy Dog Studio |
Customer experience
Knotwords
Sparrows
User reviews
Knotwords
From 8.2K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Fun and challenging
- 🚀 Simple but engaging
- 👍 Unique concept
- 👍 Addictive
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Buggy cursor/input issues
- 🐛 Slow performance
- 🐛 Questionable word choices
- 🔋 Battery drain
Sparrows
From 784 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🤩 Loads of fun
- 🧠 Challenging and engaging
- 🎨 Lovely design and aesthetics
- 🕰️ Great for short play sessions
- 🧠 Stimulates the mind
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🤔 Inconsistent word recognition
- 🤯 Frustrating when game ends unexpectedly
- 🤖 Questionable dictionary choices
- 🤷♀️ Confusing UI elements
Bugs and requests
Knotwords
Reported bugs
4 issues- Puzzles with missing/incorrect squares
- Incorrect words being accepted
- Puzzles not properly credited as completed
- Hints not matching the correct answers
Requested features
9 requests- Ability to turn off haptic feedback
- Improved cursor/input behavior
- Cloud sync across devices
- Difficulty settings
- Ability to see definitions of completed words
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Restart button for puzzles
- Customizable themes
- Daily leaderboards
- Ability to disable hints once used
Sparrows
Reported bugs
5 issues- Game crashes on launch for some users
- Word search mode has incorrect timer display
- Inability to exit certain game modes
- Shuffling feature sometimes malfunctions
- Newly unlocked words not recognized
Requested features
5 requests- Add option to retry/reset word search puzzles
- Implement a way to contact developers for missing words
- Introduce a multiplayer mode to compete with friends
- Provide more customization options for the UI
- Improve the algorithm for letter distribution
In-app purchases
Knotwords
- Knotwords Pro subscription7 Days trial$4.991 Year
- Full Game$11.99
Sparrows
- 2,500 Feathers$0.99
- 15,000 points$1.99
- 5,000 points$1.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Unlock Endless Mode$1.99
- 5,000 Feathers$1.99
- 10,000 Feathers$3.49
- 50,000 points$4.99
- No Ads (30 Days)$4.99
- 150,000 points$6.99
- 25,000 Feathers$7.99
