# Upwords vs Wordstick

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.

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.

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.

Upwords ships an update every 2 days, Wordstick fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Upwords | Wordstick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (9.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/upwords/id588252565/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordstick/id6761074054/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.3K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 67.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#138** | — |
| Size | 50 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lonely Star Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284572331) | [Studio Mathias LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1729630365) |

## What reviewers say

### Upwords

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

**Currently charting:** #138 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


### Wordstick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordstick/id6761074054)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stick Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Stick Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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 25, 2026 and Wordstick on October 24, 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.*