Comparison

Word Chums! vs Upwords

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

Head to head
About

Word Chums!

Engage in a classic word-building puzzle game with a unique twist. Compete with friends or AI, customize characters, and expand your vocabulary with an integrated dictionary. Offers a deep and rewarding experience for word game enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • 2-4 player games
  • Play versus friends, random opponents, and computer Chumbots
  • Customizable Chum characters
  • Integrated dictionary with word definitions
  • Weekly leaderboard competitions
  • Hints and best-word challenges
Features
Read full description

More fun than Words With Friends and more addicting than Scrabble, WORD CHUMS: the highest rated word game, earning a perfect 5 Star rating from users. Find out why people are saying “Once you play it, you can’t go back to your old word game.” “When I went from Words With Friends and other word games to Word Chums, there was no going back.” - VentureBeat “This game takes it to another level with fun graphics and sounds, a built in dictionary, team mode, 3-4 player mode…” ◆◆◆◆◆  "I really love this game. A great game for the whole family and your friends.. It keeps you thinking. It's a challenge. Try it, you'll love it."   ◆◆◆◆◆  "Way better than other word games! I am hooked!" “Word Chums adds a significant layer of additional incentives to keep playing atop the basic formula.” Adweek ◆ INTRODUCING THE CHUMS Oozing with personality, they bring the game to life. Have fun earning gear to outfit your Chum and expressing your style. They’re guaranteed to make you chuckle. ◆ INCREDIBLY STREAMLINED GAMEPLAY Word Chums is a pleasure to play. See words validate instantly as you place letters and see the scoring badge automatically indicate word strength. ◆ FAMILIAR CROSSWORD GAMEPLAY Word Chums stays true to the classic word building gameplay you know and love. ◆ EARN TOP CHUM STATUS Earn experience points with each word played and level up to become King or Queen of the Chums. Show off your “wordly” prowess by climbing your way to the top of the weekly leaderboards. ◆ TRULY SOCIAL See how all your friends are doing from the friends list on the main screen. Experience a new level of collaborative fun by grabbing a teammate for a couples challenge. ◆ SAY GOODBYE TO GETTING STUMPED Just when you need it most…Hints can point you to the location of a better word. ◆ SATISFIES THE SERIOUS GAMER Word Chums has achievements, best-word challenges, leveling, player stats, leaderboards and much more. It’s a deep gaming experience for everyone that gamers can master. ◆ LEARN A LITTLE Expand your vocabulary as you quickly experiment with new letter combinations and instantly discover new words. Tap any word to see its definition. —————————————————————— ◆ SPECIAL FEATURES • 2-4 player games • Play versus friends, random opponents, and computer Chumbots • Customizable Chum characters • Know valid words before you press play • Automatically see the strength of your word • Weekly leaderboard competitions • Find the best word and beat the hint challenges • Drop a Bomb and take your turn with a new set of letters —————————————————————— ◆ ABOUT PeopleFun Word Chums is a new kind of word game experience that comes to you from the makers of Age of Empires, one of the best-selling and most award-winning games of all time. Give it a try! Terms of service: https://www.peoplefun.com/terms

About

Upwords

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
Read full description

UPWORDS – The Stacking Word Game! UPWORDS is the classic 3D crossword game where you don’t just play words… you change them! Stack letters on top of existing words to transform them into new words, score more points the higher you stack, and outsmart your opponents. Why you’ll love it: - Fun, fast, and endlessly replayable - Play with friends around the world or challenge random opponents - Test yourself against the Computer (4 skill levels) - Pass & Play with family on one device - In-game chat keeps the competition lively UPWORDS is more than just fun — it keeps your brain sharp as you find clever ways to build and stack words. The higher you go, the higher you score! Download today and start stacking your way to victory. -- Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.upwords-app.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Word Chums!4 screens
Upwords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Upwords at every 2 days against Word Chums!'s every 4 months. Word Chums!'s advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 68%) and chart position (#60 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume 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. Word Chums! sells 10 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Word Chums! against 4.7 for Upwords. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24K and 9.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Word Chums!'s written reviews are positive against 68% of Upwords's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Word Chums! ships an update every 4 months, Upwords every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Word Chums! versus Upwords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWord Chums!Upwords
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (24K ratings) — better4.7 (9.2K ratings)
Positive reviews88.2% of reviews — better67.7% of reviews
Number of ratings24K — better9.2K
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#60 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size200 MB91 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPeopleFun, Inc.Lonely Star Software, Inc.

Customer experience

Word Chums!

All ratings24,054 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews1,604 reviews
Positive88.2%
Neutral3.7%
Negative8.1%

Upwords

All ratings9,231 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews427 reviews
Positive67.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative23.2%

User reviews

Word Chums!

From 24K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💖 Love the game
  • 👍 Fun to play
  • 🧠 Keeps mind active
  • 🤝 Ability to play with friends
  • 🎨 Customizable characters

Room to improve

  • 🗣️ Censorship of chat messages
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
  • 🔍 Dictionary issues - missing common words
  • 🔁 Too many ads that interrupt gameplay
  • 🔔 Notification issues

Upwords

From 9.2K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Word Chums!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Ads that cannot be closed
  • Incorrect game statistics and leaderboards
  • Crashes and freezes after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved dictionary and word acceptance
  • More ways to earn in-game currency
  • Better matchmaking and opponent selection
  • Group chat/messaging features
  • Parental controls for younger players

Upwords

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Word Chums!

One-time10
  • 500 Coins$0.99
  • 1,100 Coins$1.99
  • Get 2,200 Coins$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Starter Bundle$2.99
  • 3,000 Coins$4.99
  • Premium Upgrade$4.99
  • 6,500 Coins$9.99
  • 13,000 Coins$9.99
  • 17,500 Coins$24.99
  • 40,000 Coins$49.99
12 purchases

Upwords

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Bundle Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Premium Bundle Yearly7 Days trial$11.991 Year
One-time10
  • Full Upgrade - Free!Free
  • Word Glow$1.99
  • 20 Tokens$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Medium Token Pack$4.99
  • 60 Tokens$4.99
  • 125 Tokens$9.99
  • Large Token Pack$9.99
  • 260 Tokens$19.99
  • Premium Bundle Lifetime$34.99
  • 610 Tokens$44.99

Questions

Is Word Chums! free?
Word Chums! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Upwords free?
Upwords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Word Chums! or Upwords?
Word Chums! is rated higher. Word Chums! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 24K ratings, while Upwords averages 4.7 from 9.2K ratings.
Do Word Chums! or Upwords have ads?
Both Word Chums! and Upwords show ads.
Which is updated more often, Word Chums! or Upwords?
Word Chums! ships an update every 4 months, and Upwords every 2 days. Most recently, Word Chums! was updated on October 2, 2026 and Upwords on October 1, 2026.

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