# Red Herring vs Word

The clearest difference is ads: Word at none against Red Herring's shown. Word also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Red Herring's advantage is ratings volume (48K vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.5). 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 Word sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, Word every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | Word |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-zilla/id6747300689/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 18.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [james gibbens](https://appshunter.io/developer/1820693723) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-zilla/id6747300689)

Engage in an addictive word puzzle game that challenges your vocabulary and strategic thinking. Discover hidden words across hundreds of levels with progressive difficulty. Enjoy daily brain training and improve your spelling skills.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of levels, Three difficulty modes, Hint system, Letter reveal power-ups, Coin rewards and achievements, Game Center integration, Offline gameplay

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mega Coin Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Coin Pack | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is Word free?

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

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

Word is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Word averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Red Herring or Word have ads?

Red Herring shows ads; Word does not.

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

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Word every 4 months. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on September 24, 2026 and Word on June 9, 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.*