# Word Colors vs Upwords

The clearest difference is price: Upwords at Free against Word Colors's $3.99. Upwords also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 13). Word Colors's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (92% vs 67%). On rating, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

Upwords is free to download; Word Colors costs $3.99 up front. Word Colors sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Upwords sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 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 — 4.8 for Word Colors against 4.7 for Upwords. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upwords has 9.3K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Word Colors's written reviews are positive against 67% of Upwords's.

Word Colors ships an update every 3 months, Upwords every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Word Colors | Upwords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-colors/id453373173/reviews)** | [4.7 (9.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upwords/id588252565/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **9.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 67.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#128** | #162 |
| Size | 43 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Flip Flop AppWare, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/997519963) | [Lonely Star Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284572331) |

## What reviewers say

### Word Colors

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-colors/id453373173)

**Currently charting:** #128 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

A competitive word game where players form words and match colors to multiply scores. Challenge friends, track statistics, and chat in a dynamic, ad-free environment. Engage with a community of players on the Word Colors Wall.

**Highlights:** Form words and match colors, Score multiplication based on color streaks, Play against friends or random opponents, In-game chat and push notifications, Detailed game statistics and rankings, Player profiles with status and pictures, Community wall for finding games and opponents

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1000 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3250 Tokens | $2.99 | one-time |
| 5500 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 7750 Tokens | $6.99 | one-time |
| 10000 Tokens | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Unique color-matching strategy mechanic
- 👥 Friendly global community of players
- ⚡ Quick turn-based gameplay with minimal wait times
- 🏆 Comprehensive stats and profile tracking
- 💬 Built-in chat features for player interaction

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📚 Overly permissive dictionary with non-words
- 🐛 App hasn't been updated in 2 years
- ❌ Cannot create account in current version
- 🚫 No ability to block unwanted game requests from players
- 🚫 No option to decline random game invitations

**Reported bugs**

- Account creation not functioning
- App crashes or won't open for some users
- Screen display too large - entire board not visible
- Missing top rows on certain devices
- Emoji display issues on iOS5

**Requested features**

- Ability to block players or decline game requests
- Standard dictionary (ENABLE/SOWPODS) instead of YAWL
- Sound on/off toggle in settings
- Score preview before word submission
- Facebook integration for playing with friends


### Upwords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upwords/id588252565)

**Currently charting:** #162 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

This word stacking game challenges you to transform existing words by stacking letters on top. Score higher by stacking higher and outsmarting opponents. Play with friends, strangers, or against the computer.

**Highlights:** Stack letters to change words, Score points based on stacking height, Play with friends globally, Challenge computer opponents, Pass & Play mode, In-game chat

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Bundle Monthly | $1.49 | per month |
| Premium Bundle Yearly | $11.99 | per year |
| Full Upgrade - Free! | Free | one-time |
| Word Glow | $1.99 | one-time |
| 20 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Token Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 60 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 125 Tokens | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Token Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 260 Tokens | $19.99 | one-time |
| Premium Bundle Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |
| 610 Tokens | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great online game
- 🤝 Competitive and fun
- 🧠 Keeps the brain active
- 🌐 Connects players globally
- 🕰️ Enjoyable to play daily

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔤 Questionable dictionary
- 🤖 Computer uses invalid words
- 🤑 Expensive for a 50MB app
- 🚫 Rejects valid words
- 💤 Lack of help from developers

**Reported bugs**

- Ads that cannot be closed
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Login and verification issues
- Incorrect scoring and word validation

**Requested features**

- Option to use British dictionary
- Choice of dictionaries
- Ability to swap more than one letter
- Show opponent's remaining tiles
- Fairer letter distribution


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Word Colors free?

Word Colors costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Upwords free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Word Colors or Upwords?

Word Colors is rated higher. Word Colors averages 4.8 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Upwords averages 4.7 from 9.3K ratings.

### Do Word Colors or Upwords have ads?

Upwords shows ads; Word Colors does not.

### Which is updated more often, Word Colors or Upwords?

Word Colors ships an update every 3 months, and Upwords every 2 days. Most recently, Word Colors was updated on October 24, 2026 and Upwords on October 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Word Colors or Upwords?

Word Colors currently peaks at #128 in the App Store charts, and Upwords at #162. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*