Comparison

Codeword Unlimited + vs Sidewords

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

Head to head
About

Codeword Unlimited +

This app offers an unlimited supply of number-based word puzzles, similar to crosswords but without clues. Players decode numbers into letters to reveal hidden words, with customizable grid sizes, difficulty levels, and word lists in multiple languages.

Highlights
  • Unlimited codeword puzzles
  • Customizable grid size
  • Adjustable difficulty levels
  • Highlighting of same letters
  • Word validity checker
  • View word definitions
  • Multi-language word lists
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Codeword Unlimited is an application to play the popular word game known as Codeword (also known as Cipher crosswords). For those unfamiliar with Codeword puzzles, they provide a grid of words, similar to a normal crossword, but with no clues, rather a few initially provided letters, and a number in each square in the gird to indicate its (as yet unknown) letter. All boxes with the same number must use the same letter. From that information and the few initially provided letters it is possible to work out which words will fit in the boxes. Hence you are decoding (or decyphering) the numbers into letters to reveal the hidden words. Usually all 26 letters of the alphabet are used in the codeword, although not always (and unused letters appear crossed out in the keyboard). Feature list: 1) Unlimited number of codewords!! They are created on-the-fly using the application's advanced generator engine and it's built-in word list. 2) The player decides the number of rows and columns (from 3 to 20). This allows the game to be suitable for all kinds of mobile-phones and tablets. 3) Difficultly level can be specified by the user, which determines the pool of words the generator will use. The larger the pool the greater the difficulty. There is even an early learner mode with a limited number of words, aimed at children and English language learners. The number of starting letters can also be specified. Higher scores can be obtained with more difficult codewords. 4) Selecting a square in the grid will highlight all places the same letter is used in that grid (i.e. has the same number to decipher). This is really handy and of course not possible when doing codewords in a magazine. 5) If a game is too difficult, the application provides two useful tools to help you (see below). 6) For any word in the grid for which all squares are assigned to letters, Codeword Unlimited will highlight if that word is NOT an allowed word in the word list it uses to generate its codewords. This helps you when you have mistakes in your current assignments (saving you lots of time and frustration!). 7) An on-screen keyboard means it is much easier and more comfortable to play. 8) The definition of a completed word can be viewed. This is useful if you do not know it, or you are learning a foreign language (internet connection required). 9) Choose the language of the word list, from a large range of downloadable dictionaries. 26 languages are currently available (see below). 10) Can be played in portrait or landscape mode. Just rotate your device and the display adjusts automatically. Other similar applications want you to pay for more Codewords, but this game provides you with endless puzzles, all for free!! Each game is assigned a difficulty level from 0 (easy) to 9 (very hard). The difficulty level is determined by the settings. Each difficulty level maintains the high scores (measured by fastest time to complete the game). The game displays the best 20 scores for each difficulty level. If the player is in difficulty, the application provides two very useful aids. (1) The game can provide another decoded letter. (2) The game can show you potential answers for an uncompleted word. The game uses the letters that you have already decoded and displays the matching words. Dictionaries available are English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Polish, Norwegian, Romanian, Serbian(Latin), Serbian(Cyrillic), Slovak, Slovene, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and more coming later

About

Sidewords

This app offers a unique blend of logic and word puzzles with no timers or penalties. It provides hundreds of puzzles of varying difficulty, with new ones added daily, and includes a bonus game. Users can customize the color scheme to suit their mood.

Highlights
  • Logic and word puzzle blend
  • Hundreds of puzzles
  • Daily new puzzles
  • Bonus game included
  • Customizable color schemes
  • No timers or penalties
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Grab a cup of coffee and relax with Sidewords. Sidewords is part logic puzzle, part word game, all original. No timers. No penalties. No pressure. Just you and a good puzzle. Sharpen your mind with hundreds of puzzles, from small and quick, to large and captivating. Plus three new puzzles to do every day! There’s even a bonus game included! Choose a color scheme that fits your mood and environment. Get your morning started with bright colors, or unwind at the end of a long day with a dark theme. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a good puzzle. You deserve your Sidewords time. ----- Critics Are Saying ----- "If you're looking for a truly new word game experience, this is the game to get." - 148Apps "The word and logic elements mashed together create a special experience that I’ve never seen before in a word game" - AppAdvice "If you’re looking for a word game with some unique ideas, go download Sidewords" - AppUnwrapper "Sidewords isn't quite like anything else you've ever played before." - PocketGamer

Screenshots

Codeword Unlimited +4 screens
Sidewords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sidewords at 295 against Codeword Unlimited +'s 55. Sidewords also leads on price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

Codeword Unlimited + costs $4.99 and Sidewords $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Codeword Unlimited + against 4.7 for Sidewords. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sidewords has 295 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Codeword Unlimited +'s written reviews are positive against 81% of Sidewords's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Codeword Unlimited + versus Sidewords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodeword Unlimited +Sidewords
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.7 (55 ratings)4.7 (295 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.5% of reviews — better80.8% of reviews
Number of ratings55295 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#145#78 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB70 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHavosMilkbag Games

Customer experience

Codeword Unlimited +

All ratings54 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews85 reviews
Positive83.5%
Neutral5.9%
Negative10.6%

Sidewords

All ratings295 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive80.8%
Neutral7.7%
Negative11.5%

User reviews

Codeword Unlimited +

From 55 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Addictive and enjoyable gameplay
  • 🧠 Keeps mind active and sharp
  • 🌟 Well-designed and user-friendly
  • 💡 Flexible challenges and levels
  • 💰 Worth the purchase for ad-free experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 American spelling and words used
  • 🐛 App not optimized for recent screens
  • 🐛 Update ruined the app, cannot open
  • 🐛 Letters inserted automatically
  • 🐛 Scientific words unsuitable

Sidewords

From 295 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and engaging word game
  • 💡 Original and creative concept
  • 🧠 Keeps the brain working
  • 😌 Relaxing gameplay, no time limit
  • 🆓 Free to play, no ads

Room to improve

  • ❓ Confusing/lack of tutorial
  • 🚫 Nonsense/unreal words accepted
  • ❌ Real words sometimes rejected
  • 🔠 Portrait mode only
  • 🔄 Syncing between devices missing

Bugs and requests

Codeword Unlimited +

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Cannot open app after update
  • App not optimized for recent screens
  • Regularly rejects common words
  • Black screen on launch
  • Cannot erase a letter that is not in the right place

Requested features

10 requests
  • UK English dictionary option
  • Option to remove ads
  • Option to not have a timer or a pause button
  • New Game button on the menu bar
  • Backspace button
Show 5 more
  • Landscape mode for iPad
  • Pause button
  • Option to remove timer
  • No erase button
  • UK English words

Sidewords

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crash when clicking 'share solution'
  • Applies unreal words
  • Sometimes rejects real words

Requested features

9 requests
  • Improve tutorial or add clear instructions
  • Sync between devices
  • Add a scoring system or way to measure excellence
  • Allow iPad rotation to landscape
  • More puzzles/daily puzzles
Show 4 more
  • Undo option after tapping a word
  • Fix crash when sharing solution
  • Algorithm for randomly creating levels
  • Ability to rotate iPad in all directions

In-app purchases

None

Codeword Unlimited +

No in-app purchases

None

Sidewords

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Codeword Unlimited + free?
Codeword Unlimited + costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sidewords free?
Sidewords costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Codeword Unlimited + or Sidewords?
Sidewords is rated higher. Codeword Unlimited + averages 4.7 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Sidewords averages 4.7 from 295 ratings.
Do Codeword Unlimited + or Sidewords have ads?
Neither Codeword Unlimited + nor Sidewords shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codeword Unlimited + or Sidewords?
Codeword Unlimited + ships an update every 2 months, and Sidewords every 2 months. Most recently, Codeword Unlimited + was updated on October 26, 2026 and Sidewords on October 26, 2026.
Which is more popular, Codeword Unlimited + or Sidewords?
Codeword Unlimited + currently peaks at #145 in the App Store charts, and Sidewords at #78. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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