# Microsoft Wordament vs Upwords

The clearest difference is update cadence: Upwords at every 2 days against Microsoft Wordament's every 4 months. Upwords also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 50%) and chart position (#141 vs unranked). Microsoft Wordament's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Wordament sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month 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 — 4.6 for Microsoft Wordament against 4.7 for Upwords. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12K and 9.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Microsoft Wordament's written reviews are positive against 67% of Upwords's.

Microsoft Wordament ships an update every 4 months, Upwords every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Wordament | Upwords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-wordament/id580935508/reviews) | **[4.7 (9.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upwords/id588252565/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12K** | 9.2K |
| Positive reviews | 50.5% of reviews | **66.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#141** |
| Size | 202 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Lonely Star Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284572331) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Wordament

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-wordament/id580935508)

Engage in a dynamic word search game with both relaxing single-player modes and thrilling real-time multiplayer tournaments. Compete against thousands, track your progress with detailed statistics, and earn achievements. Offers daily challenges and adventure maps for endless fun.

**Highlights:** Single-player adventure map, Daily challenges with badges, Real-time multiplayer tournaments, Continuous word tournaments, Rich gameplay statistics, Xbox Live achievements, Cloud progress saving

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and challenging word game
- 🧠 Keeps the mind active
- 🕹️ Addictive gameplay
- ⭐ Great for learning new words
- 👍 Minimal ads in free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Dictionary issues - some valid words not recognized
- 🔇 Loud and unskippable ads
- 🔁 Repetitive map designs
- 🔌 Sync issues and data loss across devices
- 🐌 Slow performance and freezing on some devices

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes at certain levels
- Sync issues causing data loss
- Ads not loading properly, locking up the game

**Requested features**

- Add dictionary lookup for defined words
- Provide more variety in map designs and challenges
- Improve cloud sync reliability
- Optimize performance for older devices
- Offer a one-time ad removal purchase option


### Upwords

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

**Currently charting:** #141 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 Microsoft Wordament free?

Microsoft Wordament 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, Microsoft Wordament or Upwords?

Upwords is rated higher. Microsoft Wordament averages 4.6 out of 5 from 12K ratings, while Upwords averages 4.7 from 9.2K ratings.

### Do Microsoft Wordament or Upwords have ads?

Both Microsoft Wordament and Upwords show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Wordament or Upwords?

Microsoft Wordament ships an update every 4 months, and Upwords every 2 days. Most recently, Microsoft Wordament was updated on October 16, 2026 and Upwords on October 15, 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.*