Upwords vs Cypher
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
Cypher
A secret word guessing game where players use a single word and a number to communicate clues. Connect with friends locally or stream the game to a larger screen for group play.
- Single word and number clues
- Local multiplayer
- Apple TV streaming
- Secret word guessing
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One word, one number - your favorite secret word game is now on iOS! Grab some friends to connect and play locally, or stream the board to your Apple TV.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Cypher at none against Upwords's shown. Cypher also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 60%). Upwords's advantage is ratings volume (9.3K vs 14) and chart position (#171 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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 Cypher sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Upwords against 4.6 for Cypher. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upwords has 9.3K ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of Upwords's written reviews are positive against 88% of Cypher's.
Upwords ships an update every 2 days, Cypher every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Upwords | Cypher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (9.3K ratings) — better | 4.6 (14 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 60.1% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 9.3K — better | 14 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #171 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Lonely Star Software, Inc. | Pitou Technologies, LLC |
Customer experience
Upwords
Cypher
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
Cypher
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
Cypher
- Small tip$1.99
- Medium tip$4.99
- Large tip$9.99
