# Obscurant vs Astraware CodeWords

The clearest difference is price: Astraware CodeWords at Free against Obscurant's $0.99. Astraware CodeWords also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 69 months) and ratings volume (166 vs 2). Obscurant's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Astraware CodeWords is free to download; Obscurant costs $0.99 up front. Astraware CodeWords sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Obscurant asks for nothing beyond the download.

Obscurant holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Astraware CodeWords has 166 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Obscurant's written reviews are positive against 87% of Astraware CodeWords's.

Obscurant ships an update every 69 months, Astraware CodeWords every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Obscurant | Astraware CodeWords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obscurant/id350050211/reviews)** | [4.7 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astraware-codewords/id592704252/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **166** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 87.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 69 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 16 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Beguilerie](https://appshunter.io/developer/302320851) | [Astraware Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/392328106) |

## What reviewers say

### Obscurant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/obscurant/id350050211)

A challenging puzzle game where you fire rays into a grid to deduce the location of hidden targets. Offers adjustable difficulty and helpful hints to aid players.

**Highlights:** Ray firing mechanics, Target placement, Adjustable difficulty, Ray path visualization, In-game legend, Persistent puzzle state

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Astraware CodeWords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astraware-codewords/id592704252)

This word puzzle game challenges you to crack a secret code by substituting numbers for letters in a crossword-style grid. Use logic and vocabulary to decipher words and climb the global leaderboard.

**Highlights:** Number-to-letter substitution puzzles, Daily and Weekender puzzles, 50 built-in puzzles, Extra puzzle streams, Intuitive interface, Highlighting for letter consistency, Manual and auto-fill options

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Puzzles Plus | $1.99 | per month |
| Puzzles Plus | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Puzzles Plus | $7.99 | per year |
| Fun-size Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Family Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tough Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Vacation Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Daily Puzzles | $4.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Enjoyable and mentally stimulating
- 🚀 Well-designed online puzzle
- 👍 Challenging but always enjoyable
- 👍 Great way to stimulate the brain
- 👍 Excellent puzzles, fun and addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inappropriate words in puzzles
- 🔋 Increased ads and longer durations
- 👎 Mandatory commercials ruin the experience
- 👎 Repetitive long words make it too easy
- 👎 Glitches and issues with latest update

**Reported bugs**

- Hints not adding correctly to time
- Game no longer loads after recent update
- Purchased puzzles and packs not available

**Requested features**

- More free puzzles made available daily
- Flashing empty space indicator for last letter
- Theme-based puzzles and more daily challenges
- Ability to opt-out of competitive leaderboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Obscurant free?

Obscurant costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Astraware CodeWords free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Obscurant or Astraware CodeWords?

Obscurant is rated higher. Obscurant averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Astraware CodeWords averages 4.7 from 166 ratings.

### Do Obscurant or Astraware CodeWords have ads?

Astraware CodeWords shows ads; Obscurant does not.

### Which is updated more often, Obscurant or Astraware CodeWords?

Obscurant ships an update every 69 months, and Astraware CodeWords every 6 weeks. Most recently, Obscurant was updated on November 1, 2026 and Astraware CodeWords on November 1, 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.*