# Blackbar vs Topics

The clearest difference is price: Topics at Free against Blackbar's $2.99. Topics also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months). Blackbar's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (66% vs 36%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Topics is free to download; Blackbar costs $2.99 up front. Topics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Blackbar asks for nothing beyond the download.

Topics holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Topics has 5.3K ratings behind it against 97, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of Blackbar's written reviews are positive against 36% of Topics's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Blackbar ships an update every 7 months, Topics every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Blackbar | Topics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.6 (97 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbar/id672002602/reviews) | **[4.7 (5.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topics-hidden-word-search/id6499083211/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 97 | **5.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **65.6% of reviews** | 35.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#34** | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.7** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mrgan LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/320710721) | [Neil McGrogan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519545314) |

## What reviewers say

### Blackbar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blackbar/id672002602)

**Currently charting:** #34 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

Experience a sci-fi narrative of a dystopian future through engaging word puzzles. This text-based game uses a unique censorship mechanic to challenge players, offering a blend of frustration and intellectual satisfaction.

**Highlights:** Text-based sci-fi story, Word puzzle gameplay, Unique censorship mechanic, Dystopian future narrative, Challenging and thought-provoking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Clever and unique gameplay
- 👍 Engaging and thought-provoking story
- 🤔 Challenging puzzles and word games

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Too short for the price
- 🤯 Some puzzles too obscure or difficult
- 🐛 Bugs and compatibility issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes on certain devices
- Inability to progress past initial screen

**Requested features**

- Longer gameplay and expanded story
- More levels or chapters
- Hints or clues for difficult puzzles


### Topics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/topics-hidden-word-search/id6499083211)

Engage in a unique word search experience where you fill a board with words related to a specific topic. Tap or drag letters to form words, ensuring all words and the topic fill the board without overlapping.

**Highlights:** Topic-based word finding, Tap or drag letter selection, Fill the board with words, Non-overlapping word placement, Chaos-free word search

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Challenging and engaging puzzles
- 🚀 Unlimited puzzles to play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Misleading or unclear puzzle themes
- 🤔 Overlapping words causing confusion
- 🔍 Unsolvable puzzles due to errors

**Reported bugs**

- Hint button not working as expected
- Letters not registering properly
- Puzzle errors preventing completion
- Progress reset after exiting the game

**Requested features**

- Ability to skip or restart puzzles
- More reliable and consistent hint system
- Improved letter registration and responsiveness
- Option to view past puzzle solutions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Blackbar free?

Blackbar costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Topics free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Blackbar or Topics?

Topics is rated higher. Blackbar averages 3.6 out of 5 from 97 ratings, while Topics averages 4.7 from 5.3K ratings.

### Do Blackbar or Topics have ads?

Neither Blackbar nor Topics shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Blackbar or Topics?

Blackbar ships an update every 7 months, and Topics every 2 weeks. Most recently, Blackbar was updated on November 6, 2026 and Topics on November 4, 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.*