# Red Herring vs Word Forward

The clearest difference is price: Red Herring at Free against Word Forward's $2.99. Red Herring also leads on ratings volume (48K vs 11) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Word Forward's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment there is nothing between them.

Red Herring is free to download; Word Forward costs $2.99 up front. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Word Forward asks for nothing beyond the download.

Red Herring holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 76% and 76% positive.

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, Word Forward every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | Word Forward |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews)** | [4.5 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-forward/id1454290016/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | **76.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#113** |
| Size | 84 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Thalamus Digital Publishing Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476360840) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Word Forward

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-forward/id1454290016)

**Currently charting:** #113 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

This word puzzle game challenges players to clear a 5x5 grid by forming words. It requires strategic use of every letter tile to solve 500 unique puzzles, offering an endlessly challenging brain teaser.

**Highlights:** Spell words by tracing lines, Swap letters with tokens, Jumble tiles for new letters, Change letters with modifiers, Eliminate tiles with bombs, Solve 500 puzzles

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is Word Forward free?

Word Forward costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Red Herring or Word Forward?

Red Herring is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Word Forward averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.

### Do Red Herring or Word Forward have ads?

Red Herring shows ads; Word Forward does not.

### Which is updated more often, Red Herring or Word Forward?

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Word Forward every 6 weeks. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on October 22, 2026 and Word Forward on October 15, 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.*