# ScatterBuddies! vs Upwords

The clearest difference is rating: Upwords at 4.7 against ScatterBuddies!'s 3.0. Upwords also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 5). ScatterBuddies!'s advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ScatterBuddies! sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Upwords sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Upwords holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upwords has 9.3K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of ScatterBuddies!'s written reviews are positive against 60% of Upwords's.

ScatterBuddies! ships an update fortnightly, Upwords every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ScatterBuddies! | Upwords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scatterbuddies/id588180735/reviews) | **[4.7 (9.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upwords-fun-with-words/id588252565/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **9.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.7% of reviews | **60.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [logan sease](https://appshunter.io/developer/306628400) | [Lonely Star Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284572331) |

## What reviewers say

### ScatterBuddies!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scatterbuddies/id588180735)

A creative, quick-thinking party game where players come up with answers to categories that start with a specific letter. Vote on each other's answers to score points. Play online with friends or strangers, or enjoy a single-player mode.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer, Single player mode, Pass 'n Play for in-person games, Auto-judgement of answers, Leaderboards, 425+ questions, Earn coins for perks

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full Version Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |


### Upwords

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

This word game challenges you to stack letters on existing words to create new ones, scoring higher the higher you stack. Play against friends, family, or AI opponents, and join tournaments for competitive fun. It's a great way to keep your brain sharp while enjoying endless replayability.

**Highlights:** Stack letters to transform words, Score points based on stacking height, Play with friends globally, Challenge random opponents, Compete in tournaments, Play against AI with 4 skill levels, Pass & Play mode for local multiplayer

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| 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 |
| 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 |

**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 ScatterBuddies! free?

ScatterBuddies! 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, ScatterBuddies! or Upwords?

Upwords is rated higher. ScatterBuddies! averages 3.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Upwords averages 4.7 from 9.3K ratings.

### Do ScatterBuddies! or Upwords have ads?

Upwords shows ads; ScatterBuddies! does not.

### Which is updated more often, ScatterBuddies! or Upwords?

ScatterBuddies! ships an update fortnightly, and Upwords every 2 days. Most recently, ScatterBuddies! was updated on November 1, 2026 and Upwords on November 6, 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.*