# Heads Up! vs Taboo

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Heads Up! at 294K against Taboo's 4.7K. Heads Up! also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Heads Up! costs $1.99 and Taboo $1.99 up front. Heads Up! sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Taboo sells 26 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 Taboo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Heads Up! has 294K ratings behind it against 4.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Heads Up!'s written reviews are positive against 37% of Taboo's.

Heads Up! ships an update every 2 weeks, Taboo monthly. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Heads Up! | Taboo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (294K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heads-up/id623592465/reviews) | **[4.9 (4.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taboo/id1563932741/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **294K** | 4.7K |
| Positive reviews | 32.1% of reviews | **37.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #2 |
| Size | 191 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Warner Bros.](https://appshunter.io/developer/298372283) | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) |

## 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, #2 Top Paid, #8 Top Grossing · Word, #59 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


### Taboo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taboo/id1563932741)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Paid · Word, #8 Top Paid · Board, #105 Top Paid · Games, #160 Top Paid, #172 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

A word-guessing party game where teams compete to describe words without using forbidden terms. Play remotely with friends via video chat and customize game settings for endless fun.

**Highlights:** Video chat integration, Team-based word guessing, Customizable game settings, Ad-free gameplay, Multiple language support, Themed card decks

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

**In-app purchases (26)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Holiday Thanksgiving Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Sports Mix 3 Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Halloween Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Surprise Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Festive Fun | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Games Mix Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fun & Games Sports Mix Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Christmas Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mystery Mix Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Generations Gen Z Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Holiday Christmas Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Into the wild | $2.99 | one-time |
| Surprise Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Food and Nature Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sports and Celebrity Bundle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Taboo Premium | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Mix Pack 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Night Out Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Bedroom Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ready to Roast | $6.49 | one-time |
| Celebrity Deck | $6.49 | one-time |
| Sports and Games Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Welcome Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Midnight Deck | $9.99 | one-time |
| Word Bonanza Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 🎉 Great for family and friends
- 🥳 Lots of laughter
- 🤩 Easy to play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Limited number of cards
- 🔁 Repeated cards after a few rounds
- 💰 Need to pay for more cards
- 🤨 Unclear how to add more players

**Reported bugs**

- Game stopped in the middle to ask for payment
- Video chat feature not working
- App not optimized for high refresh rate displays

**Requested features**

- Add more cards in the base version
- Allow customization of game rules
- Implement a stats/history section
- Support more than 2 teams


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Heads Up! free?

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

### Is Taboo free?

Taboo costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

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

Taboo is rated higher. Heads Up! averages 4.8 out of 5 from 294K ratings, while Taboo averages 4.9 from 4.7K ratings.

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

Neither Heads Up! nor Taboo shows ads.

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

Heads Up! ships an update every 2 weeks, and Taboo monthly. Most recently, Heads Up! was updated on September 26, 2026 and Taboo on September 26, 2026.

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

Heads Up! currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Taboo at #2. 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.*