Comparison

Word Zero vs Board Session

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

Head to head
About

Word Zero

A digital crossword board game where two players form words using letter tiles. It focuses on a pure gameplay experience without ads, rewards, or in-game assistance. Players use tokens to start games, with options to earn or purchase more.

Highlights
  • Two-player turn-based word formation
  • Token system for game access
  • No ads or in-game rewards
  • Correspondence-style games with turn timers
  • Play against computer bots
  • Elo rating system
  • English and Spanish language support
Features
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Word Zero is a crossword board game in the style of others you may have seen. Two players take turns placing tiles on a board to form words. Tiles have different point values, and some board spaces have bonuses (like double-word score), and so on. What makes this game different is the absence of ... annoyances. - Zero interruptions: We have no ads during game play. - Zero distractions: We don't have gems, rewards, stickers, or achievements. - Zero deception: We do offer computer players (Bots), but they never pretend to be real people. - Zero manipulation: We don't send you notifications nagging you to play a game. - Zero cheats: We don't have in-game assistance or power-ups. Instead, Word Zero has a simple model of requiring one "token" for each game you play. - Each new user gets a batch of free game tokens to start. More free tokens are provided periodically and as resources allow. - Users who want to play more often can purchase additional tokens through In-App Purchases. - Game tokens do not expire and can be used at whatever pace you like. Highlights: - Sign In With Apple - Games are "correspondence" style. Each player has up to 3 days for their turn, but it is considered good form to play as quickly as possible. If a player does not make a turn within that time period, a pass is automatically assumed and it becomes the other player's turn. If a player "auto-passes" twice in a row, and if their opponent makes a turn in between, the game is declared a forfeit and the opponent wins. Note that it is considered bad form to abandon a game. - Languages currently supported for game play include English and Spanish - For games in English, we use the NASPA Word List, which is the official word reference for SCRABBLE play in the United States and Canada. - Push notifications to let you know when it is your turn - Players who use this app are expected to play without outside assistance. Using dictionaries, word lists, or other helps during a game is considered cheating. All players are on the honor system. - An Elo rating system is used to give an approximate indication of the strength of each player. - Although the primary focus of Word Zero is to facilitate games between people, the ability to play against computer players ("Bots") is provided as well. The Bot-related features are intentionally kept separated from other areas of the app, so there can be no confusion about whether you are playing a Bot or a real person.

About

Board Session

Organize board game nights, manage your game collection, and connect with friends. Discover new games, track your play history, and let the app pick your next game.

Highlights
  • Plan and manage game night events
  • Invite friends and add to calendar
  • Organize friends into squads
  • Track play history and stats
  • Discover and track board games
  • Randomly pick games to play
Features
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Board Session is the ultimate companion for board game enthusiasts who love playing with friends. PLAN GAME NIGHTS Create and manage events for your game nights. Invite friends directly from the app, send email invites, and add sessions straight to your calendar. BUILD YOUR SQUAD Organize your friends into squads and track your history together. See stats on who you've played with most and relive your best sessions. DISCOVER & TRACK GAMES Search millions of board games powered by BoardGameGeek. Build your personal game library, track what you own, and save games to your wishlist. STAY CONNECTED Add friends by username, send and receive friend requests, and get notified when you're invited to a game night. PICK WHAT TO PLAY Can't decide what to play? Use the spin feature to let Board Session pick a game from your library for the night. Whether you're a casual player or a seasoned hobbyist, Board Session helps you spend less time organizing and more time playing.

Screenshots

Word Zero4 screens
Board Session4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Board Session at 5.0 against Word Zero's 4.5. Board Session also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (100% vs 69%). Word Zero's advantage is ratings volume (19 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Word Zero sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Board Session asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Board Session holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Word Zero has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Word Zero's written reviews are positive against 100% of Board Session's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Word Zero ships an update every 2 weeks, Board Session fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Word Zero versus Board Session: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWord ZeroBoard Session
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (19 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB39 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperSourceGearMORGAN PHILIP PENK

Customer experience

Word Zero

All ratings19 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral15.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive69.2%
Neutral23.1%
Negative7.7%

Board Session

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Word Zero

One-time1
  • 50 Game Tokens2 variants$4.99
None

Board Session

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Word Zero free?
Word Zero is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Board Session free?
Board Session is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Word Zero or Board Session?
Board Session is rated higher. Word Zero averages 4.5 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Board Session averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Word Zero or Board Session have ads?
Neither Word Zero nor Board Session shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Word Zero or Board Session?
Word Zero ships an update every 2 weeks, and Board Session fortnightly. Most recently, Word Zero was updated on September 22, 2026 and Board Session on September 9, 2026.

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