Upwords vs Words Without Friends
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Upwords
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.
- 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
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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 repayable - Play with friends around the world or challenge random opponents - Join a Tournament! - 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
Words Without Friends
Engage in a unique single-player word game where you construct branching words to collect valuable items. Strategically use letters to meet level objectives and earn rewards, progressing through hundreds of challenging stages.
- Build branching words
- Collect Gift Cards, Stars, and Targets
- Complete hundreds of levels
- Utilize four types of assist cards
- Employ strategic genius
- Many board configurations
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Single player word game like no other! With Words Without Friends, you build branching words while collecting Gift Cards, Stars and most importantly Targets. Complete objectives to win free Cards that will help you complete Hundreds of Levels. - Hundreds of challenging Levels - Many board configurations - 4 types of Cards (assists) to win and collect - Employ your strategic genius If you enjoy word board games, then give this one a try. Completing a level requires you to simply collect Targets. The not-so-simple part is that each Target has a letter which must be used in a word. You will need to use all your word skills as you strategically place letters. Placing a letter in a bad spot just might make it impossible to complete the level.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Upwords at 4.7 against Words Without Friends's 3.6. Upwords also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 33). Words Without Friends's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Upwords sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Words Without Friends sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Upwords holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upwords has 9.3K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Upwords's written reviews are positive against 52% of Words Without Friends's.
Upwords ships an update every 2 days, Words Without Friends every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Upwords | Words Without Friends |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (9.3K ratings) — better | 3.6 (33 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.1% of reviews — better | 52.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9.3K — better | 33 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lonely Star Software, Inc. | Les Ganton |
Customer experience
Upwords
Words Without Friends
Bugs and requests
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
Words Without Friends
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Upwords
- Premium Bundle Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
- Premium Bundle Yearly7 Days trial$11.991 Year
- Full Upgrade - Free!Free
- Word Glow$1.99
- 20 Tokens$1.99
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- 60 Tokens$4.99
- 125 Tokens$9.99
- Large Token Pack$9.99
- 260 Tokens$19.99
- Premium Bundle Lifetime$34.99
Words Without Friends
- 2 of each Card$0.99
- 5 of each Card$1.99
- 10 of each Card$2.99
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- 25 of each Card$5.99
- 50 of each Card$9.99
- 200 of each Card$29.99
Questions
Is Upwords free?
Is Words Without Friends free?
Which has better reviews, Upwords or Words Without Friends?
Do Upwords or Words Without Friends have ads?
Which is updated more often, Upwords or Words Without Friends?
Other comparisons
