# CodeWords vs CRITICSCALE

The clearest difference is ads: CRITICSCALE at none against CodeWords's shown. CRITICSCALE also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.2). CodeWords's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (9 vs 2). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CodeWords sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per 7 days and CRITICSCALE sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CodeWords against 5.0 for CRITICSCALE. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 2 respectively.

CodeWords ships an update every 5 days, CRITICSCALE every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CodeWords | CRITICSCALE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords-party-board-games/id1625875748/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/criticscale/id6762124035/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 79 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.2 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Artem Tischenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/1549550763) | [CARLOS ANDRES SALAME AROSEMENA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893015225) |

## What reviewers say

### CodeWords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords-party-board-games/id1625875748)

A word association party game for groups of four or more. Players split into teams to guess code names based on one-word, one-digit clues given by their team captain. The first team to reveal all their agents wins, but beware the hitman.

**Highlights:** Team-based gameplay, Word association clues, Captain's role, Hitman card risk, Offline play possible, Brain exercise

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| For a week | $2.49 | per 7 days |
| Code Names - Annual | $19.99 | per year |


### CRITICSCALE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/criticscale/id6762124035)

Engage in daily music trivia challenges with eight distinct mini-games. Test your knowledge of music history, artists, and albums to maintain a daily streak and compete with friends. Offers a Pro version for expanded features.

**Highlights:** Eight bite-sized music trivia games, Daily streak challenges, Leaderboards and head-to-head play, Album cover identification, Music fact connection game, Artist origin guessing, Pro version with extra features

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CriticScale Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| CriticScale Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| 100 Vinyl Stars | $0.99 | one-time |
| 550 Vinyl Stars | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1,200 Vinyl Stars | $4.99 | one-time |
| 2,500 Vinyl Stars | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CodeWords free?

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

### Is CRITICSCALE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CodeWords or CRITICSCALE?

CodeWords and CRITICSCALE are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 9 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do CodeWords or CRITICSCALE have ads?

CodeWords shows ads; CRITICSCALE does not.

### Which is updated more often, CodeWords or CRITICSCALE?

CodeWords ships an update every 5 days, and CRITICSCALE every 2 months. Most recently, CodeWords was updated on October 24, 2026 and CRITICSCALE 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.*