# Red Herring vs Alchemy 1000

Red Herring and Alchemy 1000 both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of Red Herring's written reviews are positive against 55% of Alchemy 1000's. Red Herring also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (48K vs 7.8K). Alchemy 1000's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Red Herring sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Alchemy 1000 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Red Herring against 4.7 for Alchemy 1000. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Red Herring has 48K ratings behind it against 7.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Red Herring's written reviews are positive against 55% of Alchemy 1000's.

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, Alchemy 1000 every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Red Herring | Alchemy 1000 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-herring/id663596265/reviews)** | [4.7 (7.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-1000/id919139947/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | 7.8K |
| Positive reviews | **75.8% of reviews** | 54.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 84 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Blue Ox Family Games, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/288074001) | [Daniel Asto](https://appshunter.io/developer/813484166) |

## 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


### Alchemy 1000

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alchemy-1000/id919139947)

Combine basic elements to discover new ones in this classic puzzle game. Create hundreds of unique items, from animals to food, and challenge yourself to find all 1000. Features include a hint system and social sharing.

**Highlights:** Mix basic elements to create new ones, Discover up to 1000 unique elements, Hot-Cold indicator for proximity, Hint system with extended options, Cheat codes to unlock elements, Leaderboard and social sharing

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extended Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hot/Cold Meter | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Alchemy Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unusable Element Marker | $0.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Bag of Alchemy Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Alchemy Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Alchemy Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Package | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun and addictive
- 👍 Challenging and creative
- 🤓 Helps with science learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 💸 Too many ads
- 🔌 Battery draining
- 🤔 Illogical combinations

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to close ads
- Select all and done buttons not working
- Clearing progress on crash
- Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to turn off sound
- Easier navigation of elements
- More logical combinations
- Saving progress and customization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Red Herring free?

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

### Is Alchemy 1000 free?

Alchemy 1000 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Red Herring or Alchemy 1000?

Red Herring is rated higher. Red Herring averages 4.7 out of 5 from 48K ratings, while Alchemy 1000 averages 4.7 from 7.8K ratings.

### Do Red Herring or Alchemy 1000 have ads?

Both Red Herring and Alchemy 1000 show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Red Herring or Alchemy 1000?

Red Herring ships an update every 3 months, and Alchemy 1000 every 9 months. Most recently, Red Herring was updated on October 26, 2026 and Alchemy 1000 on October 26, 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.*