# SmartFriends vs NRC Puzzels

The clearest difference is rating: SmartFriends at 4.6 against NRC Puzzels's 3.3. SmartFriends also leads on ratings volume (139 vs 3). NRC Puzzels's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SmartFriends sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. NRC Puzzels asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartFriends holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartFriends has 139 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of SmartFriends's written reviews are positive against 100% of NRC Puzzels's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SmartFriends ships an update every 2 weeks, NRC Puzzels every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartFriends | NRC Puzzels |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfriends-brain-training/id1608490212/reviews)** | [3.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrc-puzzels/id6744604876/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **139** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 83.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 73 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SmartFriends B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1036798547) | [NRC Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/400732631) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartFriends

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartfriends-brain-training/id1608490212)

Engage in daily brain training challenges with friends to boost cognitive skills. Compete in IQ tests covering logic, spatial reasoning, and number sequences. Track progress and climb leaderboards in a fun, competitive environment.

**Highlights:** Daily IQ challenges, Logic puzzles, Spatial reasoning tests, Number sequence problems, Leaderboard competition, Score sharing

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Special Offer! | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $4.49 | per month |
| Free Trial \| Premium Monthly | $4.49 | per month |
| Premium Special Offer! | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Free Trial \| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| 3 x genius challenges | $0.99 | one-time |
| 10 x genius challenges | $2.49 | one-time |
| Tip 1 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tip 3 | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Daily brain workout
- 💡 Challenging puzzles
- 🤔 Makes you think outside the box
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable
- 🚀 Quick brain check

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive advertisements
- 📉 Puzzles sometimes lack logic
- 🖼️ Unclear graphics/faint colors
- 🤔 Puzzles can be too difficult
- 🔄 Repetitive questions

**Reported bugs**

- App not loading puzzles
- Diagrams not accessible with screen readers
- Glitchy when enlarging challenge images
- Issues with lifetime access purchases
- Landscape mode for larger images when app is portrait only

**Requested features**

- Fix advertisements interrupting gameplay
- Improve puzzle logic and presentation
- Enhance graphics clarity (e.g., yellow on white)
- Make puzzles more varied and adult-oriented
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired users (diagram descriptions)


### NRC Puzzels

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrc-puzzels/id6744604876)

Engage your mind daily with a variety of puzzles, from quick challenges to more demanding brain teasers. Track your progress and maintain your puzzle streak with a fresh, user-friendly interface designed for on-the-go fun.

**Highlights:** Daily new puzzles for all levels, Track puzzle streaks and status, Modern, user-friendly design, Newspaper puzzles playable online, Brain-teasing challenges

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartFriends free?

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

### Is NRC Puzzels free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmartFriends or NRC Puzzels?

SmartFriends is rated higher. SmartFriends averages 4.6 out of 5 from 139 ratings, while NRC Puzzels averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do SmartFriends or NRC Puzzels have ads?

SmartFriends shows ads; NRC Puzzels does not.

### Which is updated more often, SmartFriends or NRC Puzzels?

SmartFriends ships an update every 2 weeks, and NRC Puzzels every 3 weeks. Most recently, SmartFriends was updated on October 22, 2026 and NRC Puzzels 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.*