# Categories vs Scattered Categories

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scattered Categories at none against Categories's 1. Categories's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Categories sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Scattered Categories asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Categories against 5.0 for Scattered Categories. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Categories ships an update every 2 weeks, Scattered Categories every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Categories | Scattered Categories |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/categories-party-game/id6473639680/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scattered-categories/id6749479402/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 22.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Natanael Jop](https://appshunter.io/developer/1627298487) | [Stephanie McRitchie](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822172272) |

## What reviewers say

### Categories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/categories-party-game/id6473639680)

A word game where players race against the clock to list creative words within specific categories. It's designed for group entertainment during parties, road trips, or casual home gatherings.

**Highlights:** Word listing by category, Timed challenges, Group play, Creative word generation, Party entertainment

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-free access | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Engaging and fun game
- 🧠 Develops thinking skills
- 💡 Customizable categories
- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for family/friends
- 💯 Addictive and enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 튕 Frequent crashes/freezes
- ❌ Unclear scoring system
- ❓ Incorrect answer validation
- 🚫 Nickname/avatar issues
- ⚠️ Game instability

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes upon joining game
- App crashes when entering code
- App crashes when changing nickname/avatar
- App crashes when creating a game
- App crashes when trying to spin the wheel

**Requested features**

- Improve game stability
- Fix scoring system
- Ensure correct answer validation
- Allow playing with random people


### Scattered Categories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scattered-categories/id6749479402)

A fast-paced word game where players race against the clock to find creative answers within 12 categories, using a single randomly selected letter. Offers solo play, local multiplayer, and online challenges with AI-assisted scoring.

**Highlights:** 3-minute rounds, 12 categories, Randomly selected letter, Solo play, Pass-and-Play multiplayer, Game Center challenges, AI-assisted answer validation

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Categories free?

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

### Is Scattered Categories free?

Scattered Categories is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Categories or Scattered Categories?

Categories and Scattered Categories are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do Categories or Scattered Categories have ads?

Scattered Categories shows ads; Categories does not.

### Which is updated more often, Categories or Scattered Categories?

Categories ships an update every 2 weeks, and Scattered Categories every 4 weeks. Most recently, Categories was updated on November 4, 2026 and Scattered Categories on November 8, 2026.

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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.*