# ContraBee vs Puzzle Parlor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Puzzle Parlor at 100% against ContraBee's 24%. Puzzle Parlor also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1). ContraBee's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Puzzle Parlor sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year. ContraBee asks for nothing beyond the download.

Puzzle Parlor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of ContraBee's written reviews are positive against 100% of Puzzle Parlor's.

ContraBee ships an update every 2 weeks, Puzzle Parlor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ContraBee | Puzzle Parlor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/contrabee/id6478916549/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-parlor/id6765998068/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 23.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 16 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lexi Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1734406255) | [DAVID ISAAC SCHUSTER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1894563220) |

## 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


### Puzzle Parlor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-parlor/id6765998068)

Enjoy a curated collection of daily and classic puzzle games without ads or in-app purchases. Track your progress with streaks and sync across devices. A simple, family-made experience for puzzle enthusiasts.

**Highlights:** Daily new puzzles, Classic puzzle games, No ads or dark patterns, Streak tracking, Optional cloud sync, Dark mode

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Puzzle Parlor Supporter | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ContraBee free?

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

### Is Puzzle Parlor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ContraBee or Puzzle Parlor?

Puzzle Parlor is rated higher. ContraBee averages 4.1 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Puzzle Parlor averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do ContraBee or Puzzle Parlor have ads?

Neither ContraBee nor Puzzle Parlor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ContraBee or Puzzle Parlor?

ContraBee ships an update every 2 weeks, and Puzzle Parlor every 3 weeks. Most recently, ContraBee was updated on October 23, 2026 and Puzzle Parlor on October 24, 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.*