Comparison

Whirly Word SE vs Wordmaster⁣

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Whirly Word SE

Discover hidden words from six letters in this popular word puzzle game. Choose from two difficulty levels, utilize the built-in dictionary, and enjoy customizable features. It's a great way to challenge your vocabulary and pass the time.

Highlights
  • Find words from six letters
  • Two puzzle levels
  • Built-in dictionary
  • Multiple color schemes
  • Records keeping
  • Background music and sound
Read full description

Whirly Word® is one of the most popular word games today … 2.5 million customers can’t be wrong! * * * * *

 "...the entertainment value never fades with this game. This was one of the first apps I downloaded on my iPhone several years back and I still play it often." ~ Macworld Australia "... you might just find yourself playing it long beyond the amount of time you initially intended to–it has a way of keeping you engaged long after you thought you’d be bored of it." - panappticon.com 

"... Whirly Word holds true to its developers promise and is a breath of fresh air from your average scrambled letter iPhone games." - appsafari.com

 * * * * *

 How many words can you discover from six letters? Solve the puzzle instantly by finding the six-letter word or step up to the challenge of finding all possible words with the letters given. The large buttons and sensible design allow you to get lost in puzzles for hours. Or take a quick break from your daily routine to play for just a few minutes. This game is smart and remembers right where you left off. 

Whirly Word comes with * two puzzle levels (Abridged or Tournament) * a built in dictionary to lookup definitions * multiple color schemes * records keeping track of your success * bonuses * background music and sound 
Our Abridged Dictionary puzzles use words that you will recognize or take a plunge into the Tournament Dictionary for a brain boggling experience. Challenge your vocabulary prowess and play until you win! 

If you enjoy playing games like Text Twist, Scrabble, Boggle or Word Scramble then Whirly Word is the game for you!

About

Wordmaster⁣

This game challenges you to find as many words as possible from a scrambled six-letter word. It features a large dictionary, community-updated word lists, and social sharing options. Improve your vocabulary and compete with friends.

Highlights
  • Anagram word puzzles
  • Massive word dictionary
  • Community word list updates
  • Leaderboard competition
  • Social sharing
  • Customizable word length
Features
Read full description

Exercise your brain with Wordmaster, a new take on a pen-and-paper classic! Wordmaster is an addicting anagram game where the object is to form as many real words as possible based on a scrambled 6-letter word. With a massive dictionary of Official Tournament and Club Word List words, thousands of possible puzzles await you. The goal of Wordmaster is to help you learn new words and eventually master the English vocabulary. To this end, Wordmaster gives you two ways to win each round: solve one of the 6-letter words or solve at least 50% of all words in the round. Wordmaster has an active player community that contributes additions and removals to new dictionary versions, which are automatically downloaded from within the game. You don't have to wait for the next update to see obscure words removed or recognized words included. Game Center integration lets you compete with other players and your friends, vie for the top spot on the Wordmaster leaderboards, and share high scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail or Messages. Other features: - No annoying proper nouns, abbreviations, or acronyms - Choose a minimum word length that suits you: 3 or 4 letters - See definitions or suggest removal for words you've solved while the game is paused; also suggest additions to the dictionary Subscription option: For US$1.99/month, upgrade to Wordmaster Plus and enjoy an ad-free experience. Privacy policy: https://impulseapps.web.app EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

Whirly Word SE4 screens
Wordmaster⁣4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Whirly Word SE at none against Wordmaster⁣'s 1. Whirly Word SE also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 46%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Wordmaster⁣'s advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.7). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Wordmaster⁣ sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whirly Word SE asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wordmaster⁣ holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 486 and 367 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Whirly Word SE's written reviews are positive against 46% of Wordmaster⁣'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whirly Word SE ships an update every 5 months, Wordmaster⁣ every 6 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Whirly Word SE versus Wordmaster⁣: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhirly Word SEWordmaster⁣
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (486 ratings)4.0 (367 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.3% of reviews — better45.9% of reviews
Number of ratings486 — better367
Update frequencyEvery 5 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMighty Mighty Good GamesImpulse Apps Inc.

Customer experience

Whirly Word SE

All ratings477 ratings
Positive59.1%
Neutral14.5%
Negative26.4%
Written reviews270 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral13.3%
Negative20.4%

Wordmaster⁣

All ratings366 ratings
Positive76.8%
Neutral8.2%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive45.9%
Neutral21.3%
Negative32.8%

User reviews

Whirly Word SE

From 486 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Enjoyable
  • 👍 Fun game
  • 💡 Helps improve vocabulary
  • 👍 Challenging
  • 👍 Relaxing

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Repeating puzzles/words
  • 🐛 Limited word selection
  • 🐛 Unrecognized valid words
  • 🐛 Freezing/crashing issues
  • 🐛 Ads interfere with gameplay

Wordmaster⁣

From 367 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💡 Challenging and rewarding gameplay
  • 🧠 Helps improve vocabulary and spelling
  • 🕰️ Relaxing and calming experience
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Repeated words and obscure vocabulary
  • 🔍 Hard to read text and colors
  • 🔍 Inconsistent word acceptance
  • 🤖 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 📺 Intrusive and disruptive ads

Bugs and requests

Whirly Word SE

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Words not registering correctly
  • Scoring issues
  • Compatibility problems with newer devices
  • Frequent crashes or freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • More puzzles/words
  • Ability to see definitions/meanings of words
  • Progression levels or achievements
  • Ability to compete with friends
  • Option to turn off music

Wordmaster⁣

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game progress lost after crashes
  • Incorrect word rejections
  • Settings reset unexpectedly
  • Ads freezing or interrupting gameplay

Requested features

5 requests
  • Customizable background and text colors
  • More time options for each round
  • Integration with popular word dictionaries
  • Ability to save progress and scores
  • Offline mode or reduced ads

In-app purchases

None

Whirly Word SE

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Wordmaster⁣

Subscriptions1
  • Wordmaster Plus$1.991 Month

Questions

Is Whirly Word SE free?
Whirly Word SE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wordmaster⁣ free?
Wordmaster⁣ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Whirly Word SE or Wordmaster⁣?
Wordmaster⁣ is rated higher. Whirly Word SE averages 3.7 out of 5 from 486 ratings, while Wordmaster⁣ averages 4.0 from 367 ratings.
Do Whirly Word SE or Wordmaster⁣ have ads?
Both Whirly Word SE and Wordmaster⁣ show ads.
Which is updated more often, Whirly Word SE or Wordmaster⁣?
Whirly Word SE ships an update every 5 months, and Wordmaster⁣ every 6 months. Most recently, Whirly Word SE was updated on November 6, 2026 and Wordmaster⁣ on November 6, 2026.

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