Comparison

Name Dice by Thinkamingo vs Spark

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

Head to head
About

Name Dice by Thinkamingo

Generate unique fictional names for characters with a vast library of first and last name combinations. Perfect for writers seeking inspiration, this app offers an easy way to find fitting names quickly, helping to maintain writing flow.

Highlights
  • Hundreds of first and last names
  • Endless name combinations
  • Tap for new suggestions
  • Simple and easy to use
  • Writing exercise prompts
Features
Read full description

Name Dice is a simple tool to create interesting fictional names. This app includes hundreds of first and last names, resulting in nearly endless name combinations. Featured in MakeUseOf’s “4 iPhone/iPad Apps For Brainstorming Writing Ideas, Plots, & Characters” Name Dice has received numerous 5-star reviews from writers of all ages and levels! “I have NEVER been able to come up with names out of the blue when I'm in full writing mode! Sometimes I even put symbols in the text for names so I don't have to interrupt the flow of the story. With Name Dice, problem solved, quickly and easily. There's no complicated thing you need to do to open or close the app. Just a couple of taps and you have a random name for your character before you can say 'Holy Shakespeare!'” - E D Stewart “This app is definitely one of my favorites. I've never really been that good with creating names for anything but the app more than makes up for my weak point. Most if not all names fit together perfectly and sound natural. There are no forced or absurd names each name is so strong that I feel as if the character practically comes to life as soon as I read it.” - Keystat Stuck on a name? Tap the screen for a new suggestion. If you don’t like that one, tap it again! It’s that easy! Suggested exercises: Draw Me: Roll a name, sketch a picture of that person. Who Am I?: Roll a name, write down 5 likes and 5 dislikes. Family Tree: Roll a name, then make a family tree. Who are the parents? Grandparents? Friends: Roll 5 names and figure out how they all know each other. Chess club? School? Retirement home? Archenemies: Roll 2 names. What’s their conflict? Secret Crush: Roll a name. What makes this person your secret crush? Summer Vacation: Roll a name. Write a paragraph about what this person did on their summer vacation. Most Wanted: Roll a name. Make a “Most Wanted” poster with a mugshot, why they are wanted, and reward amount. It’s a Girl/Boy!: Roll a name and make a baby announcement for them. Nobel Prize Winner: Roll a name. Write a paragraph about them and why they won a Nobel Prize. World Traveler: Roll a name. Write a short description of this adventurer and their adventures.

About

Spark

Engage with daily learning puzzles centered around a single theme. Explore history, science, and pop culture through four unique, human-crafted games designed for discovery and fun.

Highlights
  • Daily themed puzzles
  • Four unique game modes
  • Human-crafted puzzles
  • Explore history, science, and pop culture
  • Archive of past puzzles
  • No timers or tests
Currently charting
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Replace doomscrolling with learning. Each day, Spark explores a single theme through thoughtful puzzles spanning ancient history, mythology, movies, food, geography, and more.

With five unique games and new puzzles every day, Spark makes learning part of your routine. Each game offers a different way to explore the day's theme, and each one teaches you as you play.
 Spark's games include: This or That: Choose between two options to learn more about the day's theme Links: Find the common thread connecting people, places, and ideas Chrono: Put events in order to see how history really unfolded Knockout: Uncover surprising comparisons in a series of fun head-to-head matchups Hindsight: Pinpoint when and where a photo was taken to uncover the story behind it
 All of Spark's puzzles are crafted by experts, not AI, and designed to spark those "aha" moments that make ideas stick. Explore hundreds of topics in the Library, from ancient history to the animal kingdom, with past themes to revisit anytime. Along the way, you'll uncover facts that are fun to learn and even better to share.
 From the creators of Elevate and Balance, Spark is part of a collection of mental fitness apps designed to strengthen your mind. For additional information, please read our Terms of Service (https://themindcompany.com/terms-and-conditions?from=spark) and Privacy Policy (https://themindcompany.com/privacy-policy?from=spark).

Screenshots

Name Dice by Thinkamingo4 screens
Spark4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Name Dice by Thinkamingo at none against Spark's 10. Name Dice by Thinkamingo also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). Spark's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price and device support 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. Spark sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Name Dice by Thinkamingo asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spark holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Spark has 2.8K ratings behind it against 143, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Name Dice by Thinkamingo's written reviews are positive against 93% of Spark's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Name Dice by Thinkamingo ships an update every 9 months, Spark weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Name Dice by Thinkamingo versus Spark: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterName Dice by ThinkamingoSpark
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (143 ratings)4.8 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.0% of reviews92.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1432.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#116 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB151 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThinkamingoThe Mind Company

Customer experience

Name Dice by Thinkamingo

All ratings143 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews124 reviews
Positive79.0%
Neutral12.9%
Negative8.1%

Spark

All ratings2,770 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews1,647 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative4.9%

User reviews

Name Dice by Thinkamingo

From 143 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Helpful for writers
  • 💡 Generates realistic names
  • ❤️ Great for character creation

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔊 Loud sound effects
  • 📚 Limited name selection
  • 🎨 Lacks diversity in names

Spark

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun and free way to fight brainrot
  • 👍 Engaging and educational puzzles
  • 💡 Innovative and interesting themes
  • 👍 Clean visuals and smooth design
  • 👍 Balanced challenge and learning

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Potential inaccurate information in puzzles

Bugs and requests

Name Dice by Thinkamingo

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Screen freezes on startup
  • Inconsistent name generation

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add gender filters for names
  • Allow users to add custom names
  • Implement name search/sorting options
  • Expand name database to include more cultures

Spark

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • AT&T blocking the website as potentially malicious

Requested features

2 requests
  • More games and puzzles
  • Dark mode option

In-app purchases

None

Name Dice by Thinkamingo

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Spark

Subscriptions7
  • Spark+$2.991 Month
  • Spark+$4.991 Month
  • Spark+1 Year trial4 variants$39.991 Year
Show 4 more
  • Spark+7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Spark+3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Spark+7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Spark+7 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is Name Dice by Thinkamingo free?
Name Dice by Thinkamingo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spark free?
Spark is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Name Dice by Thinkamingo or Spark?
Spark is rated higher. Name Dice by Thinkamingo averages 4.5 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Spark averages 4.8 from 2.8K ratings.
Do Name Dice by Thinkamingo or Spark have ads?
Spark shows ads; Name Dice by Thinkamingo does not.
Which is updated more often, Name Dice by Thinkamingo or Spark?
Name Dice by Thinkamingo ships an update every 9 months, and Spark weekly. Most recently, Name Dice by Thinkamingo was updated on November 1, 2026 and Spark on November 9, 2026.

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