# Astraware CodeWords vs Merge Plus

Astraware CodeWords and Merge Plus both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 87% of Astraware CodeWords's written reviews are positive against 35% of Merge Plus's. Merge Plus's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 162). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Astraware CodeWords sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Merge Plus sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 Astraware CodeWords against 4.6 for Merge Plus. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Merge Plus has 10K ratings behind it against 162, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Astraware CodeWords's written reviews are positive against 35% of Merge Plus's.

Astraware CodeWords ships an update every 6 weeks, Merge Plus monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Astraware CodeWords | Merge Plus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astraware-codewords/id592704252/reviews)** | [4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-plus/id1443717240/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 162 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **87.4% of reviews** | 34.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 37 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Astraware Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/392328106) | [KIDBEAR](https://appshunter.io/developer/1036061104) |

## What reviewers say

### Astraware CodeWords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astraware-codewords/id592704252)

This word puzzle game challenges you to crack a secret code by substituting numbers for letters in a crossword-style grid. Use logic and vocabulary to decipher words and climb the global leaderboard.

**Highlights:** Number-to-letter substitution puzzles, Daily and Weekender puzzles, 50 built-in puzzles, Extra puzzle streams, Intuitive interface, Highlighting for letter consistency, Manual and auto-fill options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Puzzles Plus | $1.99 | per month |
| Puzzles Plus | $2.99 | per 3 months |
| Puzzles Plus | $7.99 | per year |
| Fun-size Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Family Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tough Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Easy Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tough Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Vacation Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Daily Puzzles | $4.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Deluxe Pack 2 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Calendar Pack 2017 | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Enjoyable and mentally stimulating
- 🚀 Well-designed online puzzle
- 👍 Challenging but always enjoyable
- 👍 Great way to stimulate the brain
- 👍 Excellent puzzles, fun and addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inappropriate words in puzzles
- 🔋 Increased ads and longer durations
- 👎 Mandatory commercials ruin the experience
- 👎 Repetitive long words make it too easy
- 👎 Glitches and issues with latest update

**Reported bugs**

- Hints not adding correctly to time
- Game no longer loads after recent update
- Purchased puzzles and packs not available

**Requested features**

- More free puzzles made available daily
- Flashing empty space indicator for last letter
- Theme-based puzzles and more daily challenges
- Ability to opt-out of competitive leaderboard


### Merge Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-plus/id1443717240)

A number-merging puzzle game where players combine cards to create larger numbers. Achieve triple-clears to merge cards and earn new hand cards. The game ends when you run out of hand cards.

**Highlights:** Drag and merge cards, Combine numbers to get bigger sums, Triple-clear adjacent same numbers, Merge cards to increase number value, Earn new hand cards, Manage up to 5 hand cards

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Membership one Week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Membership one Month | $9.99 | per month |
| gembox | $2.99 | one-time |
| remove ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| 80 gems | $3.99 | one-time |
| 200 gems | $5.99 | one-time |
| 400 gems | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Fun and addictive gameplay
- 💡 Challenging and makes you think
- 🧠 Helps improve math skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and intrusive ads
- 🔁 Repetitive ad prompts even after purchase
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🤔 Unclear game mechanics and challenges

**Reported bugs**

- Login/purchase restoration not working
- Ads not removed after paid upgrade
- Game freezing on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to save progress across devices
- More transparent in-app purchase options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Astraware CodeWords free?

Astraware CodeWords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Merge Plus free?

Merge Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Astraware CodeWords or Merge Plus?

Astraware CodeWords is rated higher. Astraware CodeWords averages 4.7 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while Merge Plus averages 4.6 from 10K ratings.

### Do Astraware CodeWords or Merge Plus have ads?

Both Astraware CodeWords and Merge Plus show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Astraware CodeWords or Merge Plus?

Astraware CodeWords ships an update every 6 weeks, and Merge Plus monthly. Most recently, Astraware CodeWords was updated on September 29, 2026 and Merge Plus on September 28, 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.*