# Strings vs Pathways

The clearest difference is ads: Pathways at none against Strings's shown. Pathways also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 80%). Strings's advantage is ratings volume (1K vs 26) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Strings sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Pathways sells 9 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 — 4.8 for Strings against 4.8 for Pathways. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Strings has 1K ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Strings's written reviews are positive against 90% of Pathways's.

Strings ships an update every 3 weeks, Pathways every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and July 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Strings | Pathways |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strings-word-search/id6736436570/reviews) | [4.8 (26 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathways-spatial-logic-puzzle/id6754125972/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1K** | 26 |
| Positive reviews | 80.5% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 70 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Frostbyte Entertainment LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1772009662) | [William Arbuckle](https://appshunter.io/developer/1846740693) |

## What reviewers say

### Strings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strings-word-search/id6736436570)

This word search game offers a unique twist by challenging players to create interconnected word strands by tracing paths through a letter grid. It combines vocabulary and spatial reasoning for an engaging puzzle experience with various themes.

**Highlights:** Word search and connect-the-dots gameplay, Challenging vocabulary and spatial puzzles, Intuitive interface, Multiple topics and themes, Mind exercise and word weaving

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Engaging and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth playing experience
- 💡 Challenging topics
- 🔒 Unobtrusive ads
- 👍 Relaxing and brain-stimulating

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Ads covering letters making them unclickable
- 🐛 Laggy tap response
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Grid/puzzle too big for some screens

**Reported bugs**

- Tap action issues (too sensitive or unresponsive)
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Grid/puzzle size issues on smaller screens

**Requested features**

- List of all available games
- Ability to restart all puzzles
- Dark mode option


### Pathways

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pathways-spatial-logic-puzzle/id6754125972)

A minimalist logic puzzle game where players guide a dot to its home space by drawing colored paths. It offers increasing difficulty levels and daily challenges, with an option for advanced features like custom level creation.

**Highlights:** Draw colored paths to guide a dot, Solve spatial reasoning puzzles, Progress through increasing grid sizes, Daily timed puzzles with score sharing, Create and share custom levels, No ads, playable offline

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Support Developpment | $0.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $1.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pathways PRO | $7.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $7.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $9.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $14.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $19.99 | one-time |
| Support Developpment | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Strings free?

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

### Is Pathways free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Strings or Pathways?

Strings and Pathways are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1K and 26 ratings respectively.

### Do Strings or Pathways have ads?

Strings shows ads; Pathways does not.

### Which is updated more often, Strings or Pathways?

Strings ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pathways every 2 months. Most recently, Strings was updated on September 30, 2026 and Pathways on July 16, 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.*