# Red Herring vs Lex Words

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Lex Words at none against Red Herring's 10. Lex Words also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). Red Herring's advantage is ratings volume (48K vs 1) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.6). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Lex Words asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lex Words 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, Lex Words weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | Lex Words |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/lex-words/id6754347072/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 84 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Lucas Graham](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796319355) |

## 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


### Lex Words

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lex-words/id6754347072)

Engage in a minimalist word search puzzle game with smooth controls and an intuitive hint system. Enjoy handcrafted puzzles in a relaxing, distraction-free environment designed for all skill levels.

**Highlights:** Minimalist interface, Intuitive hint system, Ad-free gameplay, Handcrafted puzzles, Relaxing layout, Accessibility focused

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is Lex Words free?

Lex Words is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Red Herring or Lex Words?

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

### Do Red Herring or Lex Words have ads?

Red Herring shows ads; Lex Words does not.

### Which is updated more often, Red Herring or Lex Words?

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Lex Words weekly. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on October 25, 2026 and Lex Words on October 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.*