# Categories vs Action Codenames

The clearest difference is rating: Categories at 4.6 against Action Codenames's 3.0. Categories also leads on review sentiment (25% vs 0%) and ratings volume (176 vs 1). Action Codenames's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7). On price, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Categories sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Action Codenames asks for nothing beyond the download.

Categories holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Categories has 176 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Categories's written reviews are positive against 0% of Action Codenames's.

Categories ships an update every 6 days, Action Codenames every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Categories | Action Codenames |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (176 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/categories-words-associations/id6746159736/reviews)** | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/action-codenames/id6748104731/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **176** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **25.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 73 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yonatan Goldshtein](https://appshunter.io/developer/1720050020) | [梦成 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821210608) |

## What reviewers say

### Categories

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/categories-words-associations/id6746159736)

This free word puzzle game challenges you to connect and group words that share a common theme or association. Expand your vocabulary, improve logic skills, and enjoy hundreds of unique puzzles with daily challenges. It's a fun and educational brain exercise for all ages.

**Highlights:** Connect words into categories, Hundreds of unique puzzles, Daily challenges and rewards, Improve logic and vocabulary, Relaxing gameplay, Hints available

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 500 Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| 15 Category Hints | $3.99 | one-time |
| No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| 15 Connection Hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 + 10 Hints | $5.99 | one-time |
| 1500 Coins | $6.99 | one-time |
| 5000 Coins | $19.99 | one-time |


### Action Codenames

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/action-codenames/id6748104731)

A fast-paced, team-based word association game for parties and gatherings. Players give and guess clues based on a 5x5 grid of words, aiming to identify their team's secret words before the opposing team or hitting a losing card. Offers offline play and multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Team-based word association gameplay, 5x5 grid of secret words, Spymaster clue-giving mechanic, Offline play support, Multilingual options, Built-in rules and strategy tips

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Categories free?

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

### Is Action Codenames free?

Action Codenames is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Categories or Action Codenames?

Categories is rated higher. Categories averages 4.6 out of 5 from 176 ratings, while Action Codenames averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Categories or Action Codenames have ads?

Neither Categories nor Action Codenames shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Categories or Action Codenames?

Categories ships an update every 6 days, and Action Codenames every 3 weeks. Most recently, Categories was updated on October 15, 2026 and Action Codenames on October 5, 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.*