Comparison

Codewords + vs Astraware A

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

Head to head
About

Codewords +

Solve crosswords where letters are replaced by numbers. Decipher the code to reveal the hidden words. Offers five difficulty levels, making it suitable for beginners and experienced players alike. Enjoy a clean, digital experience with unlimited attempts and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Number-coded crosswords
  • Five difficulty levels
  • 1400 puzzles available
  • Progress tracking
  • Mental exercise
Features
Read full description

Crossword puzzles with a twist! All the letters in a crossword have been replaced by numbers. Can you figure out which letter each number represents? Five different levels make this app is the perfect way to learn if you have never played before. Our codewords app is even better than playing it on paper. You won't waste any time searching around for a number, and you can change your answer as many times as you want without turning your puzzle into a mess. We made this app free so that you can test it without having to buy anything. It comes with ten free puzzles--two puzzles in each of the five levels. There are 1400 puzzles available for download, but the ten free puzzles might just keep you busy for a long time :) Features: - Easy to learn! - 5 levels of difficulty - 1400 puzzles (10 are free) - See your progress instantly in the puzzle book - A fun mental exercise to keep your brain sharp!

About

Astraware A

Place letters A to Z into a grid to form valid words and complete puzzles. Offers daily challenges, a collection of built-in puzzles, and extra puzzle streams for endless play. Optional subscription unlocks unlimited access and removes ads.

Highlights
  • Place letters A to Z to form words
  • Daily and Weekender puzzles
  • 50 built-in puzzles
  • Extra puzzle streams
  • Save slots for multiple puzzles
  • Optional Puzzles Plus subscription
Features
Read full description

Place all of the letters A to Z into the puzzle to make valid words and complete the grid! Astraware A-to-Z is an easy to use puzzle game blending a good stretch of the vocabulary with logical skills too, as there may be more than one place where you initially think a letter can go. Astraware A-to-Z gives you access to play our free Daily puzzles - top the global leaderboard by completing the puzzle in the fastest time! For an extra challenge there is a Weekender puzzle available each Friday with a trickier grid and more unusual words. Great features include: - Unlimited access to our four Daily puzzles and Weekender puzzle. - A collection of 50 built-in puzzles in various sizes and difficulties, perfect for beginners and avid players - Extra puzzle streams for endless play - Intuitive interface - Visibility and graphical options - Save slots available to have several puzzles on the go at once, so you can stop for a break and come back to a puzzle later - Option to purchase extra value puzzle packs for offline play - Puzzles Plus subscription for unlimited puzzles Puzzles Plus Subscription Terms and Details Puzzles Plus is our optional subscription for A-to-Z which entitles you to play all of the available Daily, Weekender and Stream puzzles as soon as they are available, without in-game adverts or any requirement to earn tokens. Subscribers can also choose to highlight their high scores with a choice of badges. Subscriptions are available with renewal periods of either monthly, quarterly (every 3 months), or yearly. The price shown is the cost of the renewal, with the saving value for longer subscription periods as a comparison to the monthly option. After you confirm a subscription, you will have a free trial period of seven days. Your iTunes Account will be charged as soon as the free trial is over. If you cancel the subscription at any time before the free trial is over, you will not be billed. The subscriptions are automatically renewing, and you will be charged again at the end of your current subscription period. Your subscription will automatically renew unless you turn this off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The renewal cost will be the same for each subscription period, and will be charged within the 24 hours before the end of your current subscription. You can manage the subscriptions at any time by going to the Account Settings in the Settings App after purchase. There are options to either change to a different renewal period (which will be at a different price) or to cancel your subscription completely. If you cancel the renewal you will still have access to the Puzzles Plus features until the full subscription period is complete. If you confirm the purchase of a subscription before the free trial is complete, any unused portion of the free trial will be lost. These terms are listed at the Astraware site at : https://www.astraware.com/about/puzzlesplus/ For more information on Data and Privacy, please view the Astraware Privacy page at http://www.astraware.com/privacy

Screenshots

Codewords +4 screens
Astraware A4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Codewords + at none against Astraware A's shown. Codewords + also leads on ratings volume (352 vs 27) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). Astraware A's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 39 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 89%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Codewords + sells 16 one-off in-app purchases and Astraware A sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Codewords + against 4.8 for Astraware A. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Codewords + has 352 ratings behind it against 27, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Codewords +'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Astraware A's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codewords + ships an update every 39 months, Astraware A every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Codewords + versus Astraware A: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodewords +Astraware A
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (352 ratings)4.8 (27 ratings)
Positive reviews88.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings352 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 39 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSarah PierceAstraware Limited

Customer experience

Codewords +

All ratings352 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive88.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative3.3%

Astraware A

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Codewords +

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Puzzle #29 looks different from actual puzzle
  • App is slowing down user's phone, needs update

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a help/clue button
  • Option to choose UK English spelling
  • Add a timer for more challenge
  • Allow users to insert letters manually
  • Add more puzzles/levels

Astraware A

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

16 purchases

Codewords +

One-time16
  • Gentle Pack #1$0.99
  • Gentle Pack #2$0.99
  • Easy Pack #1$0.99
Show 13 more
  • Easy Pack #2$0.99
  • Medium Pack #1$0.99
  • Medium Pack #2$0.99
  • Hard Pack #1$0.99
  • Hard Pack #2$0.99
  • Expert Pack #1$0.99
  • Gentle Pack #4$0.99
  • Gentle Pack #3$0.99
  • Medium Pack #4$0.99
  • Medium Pack #3$0.99
  • Hard Pack #4$0.99
  • Hard Pack #3$0.99
  • Megapack$6.99
5 purchases

Astraware A

Subscriptions3
  • Puzzles Plus7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Puzzles Plus7 Days trial$2.993 Months
  • Puzzles Plus7 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time2
  • Fun Size Puzzle Pack$0.99
  • Deluxe Pack$4.99

Questions

Is Codewords + free?
Codewords + is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Astraware A free?
Astraware A is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Codewords + or Astraware A?
Codewords + and Astraware A are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 352 and 27 ratings respectively.
Do Codewords + or Astraware A have ads?
Astraware A shows ads; Codewords + does not.
Which is updated more often, Codewords + or Astraware A?
Codewords + ships an update every 39 months, and Astraware A every 6 weeks. Most recently, Codewords + was updated on October 18, 2026 and Astraware A on October 14, 2026.

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