# Red Herring vs SpellTower

The clearest difference is rating: Red Herring at 4.7 against SpellTower's 3.7. Red Herring also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 37%) and ratings volume (48K vs 629). SpellTower's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and SpellTower sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Red Herring holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 629, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Red Herring's written reviews are positive against 37% of SpellTower's.

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, SpellTower every 2 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | SpellTower |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews)** | [3.7 (629 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower/id1490605957/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 629 |
| Positive reviews | **75.6% of reviews** | 37.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 138 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Zach Gage](https://appshunter.io/developer/294263418) |

## 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


### SpellTower

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spelltower/id1490605957)

This word game challenges players to find words as tiles rise from the bottom. Strategize to clear columns before they reach the top. Features multiple game modes, bonus tiles, and detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Rising tile mechanic, Multiple game modes, Bonus tiles, Detailed statistics, Game Center leaderboards, iCloud Backup

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging and fun
- 🧠 Great brain exercise
- 🎨 Elegant and well-designed
- 🕰️ Relaxing gameplay
- 👍 Addictive and enjoyable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Dictionary needs updating
- 🤖 Words not recognized despite being valid
- 💰 Ads too frequent and intrusive
- 🔒 Paid version doesn't remove all ads
- 🤯 Frustrating when game ends unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes or crashes
- Tutorial gets stuck and can't be skipped
- Scoring and progress issues
- Compatibility problems on certain devices

**Requested features**

- Undo/Redo functionality
- Adjustable difficulty levels
- Sync progress across devices
- Offline gameplay mode
- More game modes and customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is SpellTower free?

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

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

Red Herring is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while SpellTower averages 3.7 from 629 ratings.

### Do Red Herring or SpellTower have ads?

Both Red Herring and SpellTower show ads.

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

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and SpellTower every 2 days. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on September 24, 2026 and SpellTower on September 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.*