Comparison

Upwords vs Wordstick

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

Head to head
About

Upwords

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
Read full description

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

About

Wordstick

A daily word puzzle game where you spin letter cubes to form words on all four sides of a tower. Track your progress, compete on leaderboards, and unlock new modes with an optional upgrade.

Highlights
  • Daily word puzzles
  • Spin letter cubes
  • Four-sided word completion
  • Progress tracking (timer, move counter)
  • Global leaderboards
  • Unlockable game modes
Read full description

Introducing word sticks — a stack of letter cubes you spin until all four sides spell words. New puzzles daily. Orbit around the tower to check each side as you go. HOW TO PLAY – Swipe cubes left or right to rotate them – The stick has four sides, each spelling a word – Swipe the background to orbit and see all four sides – All four words must be correct at once to solve GAME MODES Pick between 5, 7, and 9-letter word sticks. A fresh set drops every day at midnight. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS – Timer and move counter for every solve – Daily calendar to revisit past puzzles – Share your results with a custom scorecard – Post your time to the global leaderboard STICK PRO Upgrade to unlock past daily puzzles, the 9-letter mode, and shuffle to remix the tower when you're stuck. New puzzles every day. No ads. Just words. Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy http://www.wordstick.net/privacy

Screenshots

Upwords4 screens
Wordstick4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Wordstick at none against Upwords's shown. Wordstick also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Upwords's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (9.3K vs 5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Upwords sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Wordstick sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Wordstick holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. 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: 67% of Upwords's written reviews are positive against 100% of Wordstick's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Upwords ships an update every 2 days, Wordstick fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Upwords versus Wordstick: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUpwordsWordstick
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.3K ratings)5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9.3K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#95 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLonely Star Software, Inc.Studio Mathias LLC

Customer experience

Upwords

All ratings9,261 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.3%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews435 reviews
Positive66.9%
Neutral9.4%
Negative23.7%

Wordstick

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Wordstick

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Upwords

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Bundle Monthly7 Days trial$1.491 Month
  • Premium Bundle Yearly7 Days trial$11.991 Year
One-time10
  • Full Upgrade - Free!Free
  • Word Glow$1.99
  • 20 Tokens$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Medium Token Pack$4.99
  • 60 Tokens$4.99
  • 125 Tokens$9.99
  • Large Token Pack$9.99
  • 260 Tokens$19.99
  • Premium Bundle Lifetime$34.99
  • 610 Tokens$44.99
2 purchases

Wordstick

Subscriptions2
  • Stick Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Stick Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Upwords free?
Upwords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Wordstick free?
Wordstick is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Upwords or Wordstick?
Wordstick is rated higher. Upwords averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.3K ratings, while Wordstick averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.
Do Upwords or Wordstick have ads?
Upwords shows ads; Wordstick does not.
Which is updated more often, Upwords or Wordstick?
Upwords ships an update every 2 days, and Wordstick fortnightly. Most recently, Upwords was updated on October 24, 2026 and Wordstick on October 24, 2026.

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