# ContraBee vs SpellBee

The clearest difference is rating: SpellBee at 4.5 against ContraBee's 4.0. SpellBee also leads on ratings volume (3.5K vs 4). ContraBee's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SpellBee sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ContraBee asks for nothing beyond the download.

SpellBee holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SpellBee has 3.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of ContraBee's written reviews are positive against 28% of SpellBee's.

ContraBee ships an update every 2 weeks, SpellBee fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ContraBee | SpellBee |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrabee/id6478916549/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spellbee-spelling-puzzle/id6504094765/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **3.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 23.8% of reviews | **27.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 16 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lexi Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1734406255) | [AppStation Studio Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1192656413) |

## What reviewers say

### ContraBee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrabee/id6478916549)

This app offers a daily word puzzle using the same letter hive as the New York Times Spelling Bee. It challenges players to find words without using the required center letter, encouraging a different approach to word discovery.

**Highlights:** Daily word puzzles, Uses NYT Spelling Bee letter hive, Excludes center letter, Encourages alternative word finding, Unique puzzle twist

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### SpellBee

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spellbee-spelling-puzzle/id6504094765)

This word puzzle game challenges you to create words from seven letters, with one central letter required in every word. It offers daily puzzles, progress tracking, and global leaderboards. Enhance your vocabulary and cognitive skills with this engaging brain-boosting activity.

**Highlights:** Create words from seven letters, Find the pangram, Daily puzzles, Track progress and scores, Global leaderboards, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SpellBee Premium | $2.99 | per month |
| SpellBee Premium | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun game
- 👍 Challenging
- 👍 Enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Losing progress/words
- 🐛 Repeated letters across days
- 🐛 Missing common words in dictionary
- 🔍 Lack of hints/features
- 💸 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing/crashing issues
- Losing progress and daily words
- Repeated letters across days

**Requested features**

- Add option to disable ads
- Improve dictionary and word selection
- Implement hints or other features
- Allow multiple players on the same game


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ContraBee free?

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

### Is SpellBee free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ContraBee or SpellBee?

SpellBee is rated higher. ContraBee averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while SpellBee averages 4.5 from 3.5K ratings.

### Do ContraBee or SpellBee have ads?

SpellBee shows ads; ContraBee does not.

### Which is updated more often, ContraBee or SpellBee?

ContraBee ships an update every 2 weeks, and SpellBee fortnightly. Most recently, ContraBee was updated on July 5, 2026 and SpellBee on September 26, 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.*