# Stopword vs Play Pals

The clearest difference is rating: Play Pals at 4.8 against Stopword's 2.7. Play Pals also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 60%) and ratings volume (49 vs 3). Stopword's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Stopword sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Play Pals sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Play Pals holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play Pals has 49 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Stopword's written reviews are positive against 91% of Play Pals's.

Stopword ships an update every 2 months, Play Pals every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Stopword | Play Pals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stopword/id511700523/reviews) | **[4.8 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-pals-word-bobble/id1594090339/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **49** |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **90.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 143 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [AYTEYLZ EOOD](https://appshunter.io/developer/455568454) | [512 Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1594090341) |

## What reviewers say

### Stopword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stopword/id511700523)

Embark on a medieval quest to save a princess in this word arrangement puzzle game. Tap objects to reveal letters, then arrange them to solve puzzles and rescue captive creatures. It's a fun, brain-bending challenge for all ages.

**Highlights:** Word arrangement puzzles, Medieval fantasy theme, Tap to reveal letters, Timed challenges, Rescue creatures and princess, Family-friendly gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Pile of Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium Version | $2.99 | one-time |
| Middle Pile of Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Pile of Coins | $3.99 | one-time |


### Play Pals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-pals-word-bobble/id1594090339)

Engage in a competitive word-finding game where you connect letters to form words. Challenge friends or random opponents, customize your avatar with numerous outfit combinations, and earn in-game rewards to enhance your gameplay and style.

**Highlights:** Online word-finding gameplay, Avatar customization with millions of combinations, Challenge friends or random opponents, Solo games for vocabulary training, Daily tournaments with special game modes, Earn coins and gems for rewards, Leaderboard for competitive rankings

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A Few Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Handful of Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sack of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |
| Chest of Gems | $39.99 | one-time |
| Fortune of Gems | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Stopword free?

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

### Is Play Pals free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Stopword or Play Pals?

Play Pals is rated higher. Stopword averages 2.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Play Pals averages 4.8 from 49 ratings.

### Do Stopword or Play Pals have ads?

Both Stopword and Play Pals show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Stopword or Play Pals?

Stopword ships an update every 2 months, and Play Pals every 6 weeks. Most recently, Stopword was updated on November 4, 2026 and Play Pals on November 7, 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.*