# Groops vs Red Herring

The clearest difference is ads: Groops at none against Red Herring's shown. Groops also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 76%). Red Herring's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (48K vs 675). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Groops sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Red Herring holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 675, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Groops's written reviews are positive against 76% of Red Herring's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Groops ships an update every 8 days, Red Herring every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on July 4, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Groops | Red Herring |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (675 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groops/id659981940/reviews) | **[4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 675 | **48K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.6% of reviews** | 75.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 84 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Torched Media LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/659981943) | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) |

## What reviewers say

### Groops

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groops/id659981940)

This puzzle game challenges your mind by matching tiles based on shared or unique attributes. With hundreds of levels and exciting game modes like Time Attack and multiplayer, it offers endless fun and brain stimulation. Compete with friends and unlock achievements.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of levels, Time Attack mode, Leaderboards, Multiplayer mode, Unlockable achievements, Hint system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pack of 50 Board Shuffles | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of 10 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of 5,000 Points | $0.99 | one-time |
| 3x3 Bonus Pack 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| pack of 20,000 Points | $2.99 | one-time |
| pack of 100,000 Points | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Calming game
- 🧠 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 🤔 Makes you think differently
- 🕰️ Great for passing time
- 🧠 Brain workout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔒 Requires Facebook login for more levels
- 🔢 Lack of new levels
- 🎵 No background music

**Reported bugs**

- Level 10 of 'brainz needed' bonus pack won't let user progress
- Crash after time attack finishes
- Level 45 of easy 4x4 board shows '0/ ' and crashes
- Win not recognized in local multiplayer

**Requested features**

- More levels and boards
- Ability to reset level scores
- Endless mode
- Ability to see previous groops found


### Red Herring

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265)

This word puzzle game challenges you to group words into categories while identifying misleading "Red Herring" words. Enjoy a fun, challenging, and easy-to-learn experience with no time limits and three difficulty levels suitable for all ages.

**Highlights:** Group words into categories, Identify misleading "Red Herring" words, No time limit, Three difficulty levels, Daily puzzle

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Curiosity - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Brilliant! - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Allegro - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Spelunking - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Renaissance - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| IQ - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Serendipity - 50 Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Older Daily Puzzles 2014 Jul - Dec | $3.99 | one-time |
| Quantum Leap - 175 Puzzles | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤔 Challenging and thought-provoking
- 🧠 Exercises the mind
- ⏰ Good time-passer
- 🎮 Fun and addictive game
- 🎓 Educational and expands vocabulary

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🇺🇸 Too American-centric
- 💰 Expensive paid content
- 🚫 Limited free content
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Obscure references and categories

**Reported bugs**

- Formatting issues after updates
- Inability to access previous daily puzzles
- Ads that cannot be dismissed

**Requested features**

- More free daily puzzles
- Less American-focused content
- Dark mode option
- Ability to replay past puzzles
- Hints system improvements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Groops free?

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

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Groops or Red Herring?

Red Herring is rated higher. Groops averages 4.3 out of 5 from 675 ratings, while Red Herring averages 4.7 from 48K ratings.

### Do Groops or Red Herring have ads?

Red Herring shows ads; Groops does not.

### Which is updated more often, Groops or Red Herring?

Groops ships an update every 8 days, and Red Herring every 3 months. Most recently, Groops was updated on July 4, 2026 and Red Herring on September 27, 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.*