# Red Herring vs Guess da Word

The clearest difference is ads: Guess da Word at none against Red Herring's shown. Guess da Word also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 76%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Red Herring's advantage is ratings volume (48K vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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 Guess da Word sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Guess da Word holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 2, 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 100% of Guess da Word's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | Guess da Word |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guess-da-word/id6502470102/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Gilbert Gonsalves](https://appshunter.io/developer/492123194) |

## 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


### Guess da Word

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guess-da-word/id6502470102)

Guess a five-letter word within six attempts. Color-coded clues help you identify correct letters and their positions. Track your performance with detailed statistics. Play as much as you want.

**Highlights:** Six-guess word challenges, Color-coded letter clues, Track winning percentage, Unlimited gameplay, Statistics tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Guess Da Word - Ad Free | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is Guess da Word free?

Guess da Word is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Red Herring or Guess da Word?

Guess da Word is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Guess da Word averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Red Herring or Guess da Word have ads?

Red Herring shows ads; Guess da Word does not.

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

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Guess da Word every 3 months. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on October 27, 2026 and Guess da Word on October 8, 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.*