# Heads Up! vs 5 Second Rule

The clearest difference is price: 5 Second Rule at Free against Heads Up!'s $1.99. 5 Second Rule also leads on review sentiment (45% vs 33%). Heads Up!'s advantage is ratings volume (300K vs 10K) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

5 Second Rule is free to download; Heads Up! costs $1.99 up front. Heads Up! sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and 5 Second Rule sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 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 — 4.8 for Heads Up! against 4.7 for 5 Second Rule. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heads Up! has 300K ratings behind it against 10K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Heads Up!'s written reviews are positive against 45% of 5 Second Rule's.

Heads Up! ships an update weekly, 5 Second Rule every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heads Up! | 5 Second Rule |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (300K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heads-up/id623592465/reviews)** | [4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5-second-rule-group-games/id1441645718/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **300K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | 32.8% of reviews | **44.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #45 |
| Size | 204 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Warner Bros.](https://appshunter.io/developer/298372283) | [Boris Mikic](https://appshunter.io/developer/715048836) |

## What reviewers say

### Heads Up!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heads-up/id623592465)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Paid · Card, #1 Top Paid · Word, #2 Top Paid · Games, #3 Top Paid, #6 Top Grossing · Word, #47 Top Grossing · Card (US App Store)

This is a charades-style party game where players guess words displayed on a phone held to their forehead, with friends shouting clues. It offers a wide variety of themed decks and the ability to create custom categories for endless entertainment.

**Highlights:** Word guessing with friends, Themed card decks, Custom category creation, Tilt controls for guessing, Record gameplay videos, Play via Facetime

**Features:** SharePlay

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Just For Kids | Free | one-time |
| The Ellen Show | Free | one-time |
| Mix It Up | Free | one-time |
| Branded | $1.99 | one-time |
| That's So 90s | $1.99 | one-time |
| Food Fight | $1.99 | one-time |
| Super Heroes | $1.99 | one-time |
| Adult Supervision | $1.99 | one-time |
| Adult Supervision 2: Even Adultier | $1.99 | one-time |
| Happy Holidays | $1.99 | one-time |
| Adults Only! Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and engaging game
- 🎉 Great for parties and gatherings
- 👍 Fantastic family-friendly entertainment
- 💯 Highly recommended by users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔁 Repetitive content and card decks
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and technical issues
- 🤔 Lack of customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Purchased decks disappearing or not restoring
- Freezing and crashing on certain devices
- Inaccurate voice recognition and gesture detection

**Requested features**

- Ability to adjust game timer length
- More free content and decks
- Improved deck management and organization
- Better customer support and communication


### 5 Second Rule

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/5-second-rule-group-games/id1441645718)

**Currently charting:** #45 Top Grossing · Word, #53 Top Free · Word, #91 Top Free · Card, #176 Top Grossing · Card (US App Store)

This is a fast-paced party game for groups where players must answer a question with three answers in just five seconds. Fail to answer in time, and face a fun punishment. Includes normal and adult-themed card decks for varied party experiences.

**Highlights:** Answer questions in 5 seconds, Come up with 3 answers, Buzzer timer, Punishments for failure, Normal card deck, Sexy card deck

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun game
- 👍 Great for groups/parties
- 😊 Enjoyable with friends/partner
- 🐶 Cute dog review prompt

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model ($3/week)
- 🤔 Unclear free trial/subscription details
- ⏱️ Very short time limits (5 seconds)
- 🤨 Some questionable/inappropriate content

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription continues even after app deletion
- Inability to access paid content after subscription
- Crashes and compatibility issues with updates

**Requested features**

- One-time purchase option to unlock all content
- More free content/decks
- Adjustable time limits
- Better subscription management/cancellation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heads Up! free?

Heads Up! costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is 5 Second Rule free?

5 Second Rule is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule?

Heads Up! is rated higher. Heads Up! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 300K ratings, while 5 Second Rule averages 4.7 from 10K ratings.

### Do Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule have ads?

Neither Heads Up! nor 5 Second Rule shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule?

Heads Up! ships an update weekly, and 5 Second Rule every 3 weeks. Most recently, Heads Up! was updated on October 31, 2026 and 5 Second Rule on October 31, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Heads Up! or 5 Second Rule?

Heads Up! currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and 5 Second Rule at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*