# Heads Up! vs Wavelength

Heads Up! and Wavelength both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 81% of Wavelength's written reviews are positive against 33% of Heads Up!'s. Wavelength also leads on price (Free vs $1.99). Heads Up!'s advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and chart position (#1 vs #30). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Wavelength is free to download; Heads Up! costs $1.99 up front. Heads Up! sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Wavelength sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.9 for Wavelength. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 300K and 64K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Heads Up!'s written reviews are positive against 81% of Wavelength's.

Heads Up! ships an update weekly, Wavelength every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heads Up! | Wavelength |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (300K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heads-up/id623592465/reviews) | **[4.9 (64K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wavelength/id1512834505/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **300K** | 64K |
| Positive reviews | 32.8% of reviews | **80.7% 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** | #30 |
| Size | 204 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Warner Bros.](https://appshunter.io/developer/298372283) | [Palm Court LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1212141586) |

## 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, #3 Top Paid · Games, #5 Top Paid, #13 Top Grossing · Word, #73 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


### Wavelength

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wavelength/id1512834505)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Free · Word, #53 Top Free · Board, #94 Top Grossing · Word, #191 Top Grossing · Board (US App Store)

A cooperative party game where players guess where a clue falls on a spectrum. Work together to read your friends' minds and win. Play in person or remotely with new content and features.

**Highlights:** Cooperative gameplay, Remote play enabled, New exclusive content, Real-time dial movements, Emoji reactions, Customizable avatars, Earn achievements

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chaotic Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Divisive Nonsense Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lickable Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Culture Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Weird Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Brain Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jumbo Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Latest Bundle | $3.99 | one-time |
| Originals Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Big Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy All | $8.99 | one-time |
| Buy All | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great game
- 🤗 Fun for family and friends
- 🎨 Gorgeous, cohesive, and clean design
- 🕹️ Smooth gameplay with minimal lag
- 💰 Worth the price, no ads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Lack of pass-and-play mode
- 🔢 Limited number of prompts in free version
- 🤝 Cooperative mode can be frustrating with larger groups
- 🔊 Sound effects not shared between players

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Prompts sometimes get skipped unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Add pass-and-play mode for local multiplayer
- Increase number of free prompts
- Add individual scoring mode for larger groups
- Allow players to hear each other's sound effects


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heads Up! free?

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

### Is Wavelength free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Heads Up! or Wavelength?

Wavelength is rated higher. Heads Up! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 300K ratings, while Wavelength averages 4.9 from 64K ratings.

### Do Heads Up! or Wavelength have ads?

Neither Heads Up! nor Wavelength shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Heads Up! or Wavelength?

Heads Up! ships an update weekly, and Wavelength every 3 weeks. Most recently, Heads Up! was updated on October 29, 2026 and Wavelength on October 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Heads Up! or Wavelength?

Heads Up! currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Wavelength at #30. 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.*