# Shakespeare vs Blanks

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Shakespeare at 3.5K against Blanks's 7. Shakespeare also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 57%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Blanks's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shakespeare sells 27 one-off in-app purchases and Blanks sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shakespeare holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shakespeare has 3.5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Shakespeare's written reviews are positive against 57% of Blanks's.

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, Blanks every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shakespeare | Blanks |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416/reviews)** | [4.6 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blanks/id286883373/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **74.0% of reviews** | 56.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 416 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlayShakespeare.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/809094812) | [Kai Kunze](https://appshunter.io/developer/286544358) |

## What reviewers say

### Shakespeare

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shakespeare/id285035416)

Access the complete works of Shakespeare, including plays, sonnets, and poems. Features include a powerful search, integrated glossary, note-taking, and customization options for a rich reading experience.

**Highlights:** Complete works of Shakespeare, Powerful search and concordance, Integrated glossary with definitions, Add and share personal notes, Customizable reading experience, Scene breakdowns and character descriptions, Modern translations and lexicons

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (27)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Modern Translation (AYLI) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Sonnets) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (AWEW) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation(Coriolanus) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (CoE) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (WT) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Othello) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Much Ado) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (LLL) | $1.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Hamlet) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (Macbeth) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (R&J) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (King Lear) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by Alexander Dyce | $3.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by C. T. Onions | $3.99 | one-time |
| Schmidt's Lexicon | $3.99 | one-time |
| Glossary by C. T. Onions | $4.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $7.99 | one-time |
| Course: Intro to Shakespeare | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Apocrypha | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $9.99 | one-time |
| Course Shakespeare for Kids | $9.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Shakespeare Pro | $12.99 | one-time |
| All Lexicons | $12.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $14.99 | one-time |
| Modern Translation (All Works) | $19.99 | one-time |
| Shakespeare Ultimate | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best app out there
- 👍 Excellent app
- 👍 Terrific app for Shakespeare lovers
- 👍 Remarkable level of detail and care
- 👍 Invaluable for actors and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes, buggy, unstable
- 💰 Nickel-and-diming for features
- 💰 Upgrade to pro is misleading
- 💰 Constant nagging to upgrade
- 🤔 Abbreviated character names

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch or opening plays
- Scrolling and UI issues
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add modern translations
- Include line numbers
- Improve search and navigation
- Add more content like sonnets
- Sync purchases across devices


### Blanks

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blanks/id286883373)

Learn new English words with this interactive app. It presents definitions and multiple-choice answers, allowing you to drag and drop the correct word. Receive immediate feedback with visual cues for correct or incorrect selections.

**Highlights:** Learn new English words, Word definitions provided, Multiple-choice answers, Drag-and-drop interaction, Visual feedback (green check/red cross), Wordnet-based definitions

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $1.99 | one-time |
| Lunch | $5.99 | one-time |
| Pizza | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Fun vocabulary builder
- 👍 Educational and engaging
- 💰 Free to use
- 🚀 Simple and easy interface
- 🧠 Stimulates deductive reasoning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Word repetitions
- 🐛 Poor or inaccurate clues
- 🐛 Answer often in the question/definition
- 🐛 Lack of ability to review mistakes
- 🐛 Too easy/commonplace words

**Reported bugs**

- Correct word marked as incorrect
- Answer in definition/question
- Repeats words too often
- Starts on same word every time
- Word repetitions

**Requested features**

- Tap to go to next definition
- See percentage of correct answers
- Ability to review mistakes
- Option to see correct answer
- Game modes (word count, time limit)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shakespeare free?

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

### Is Blanks free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shakespeare or Blanks?

Shakespeare is rated higher. Shakespeare averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Blanks averages 4.6 from 7 ratings.

### Do Shakespeare or Blanks have ads?

Neither Shakespeare nor Blanks shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shakespeare or Blanks?

Shakespeare ships an update every 3 weeks, and Blanks every 10 days. Most recently, Shakespeare was updated on September 25, 2026 and Blanks on September 17, 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.*