# Associations! vs Three by Three Category Puzzle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Three by Three Category Puzzle at none against Associations!'s 3. Three by Three Category Puzzle also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Associations! sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Three by Three Category Puzzle asks for nothing beyond the download.

Associations! ships an update every 4 days, Three by Three Category Puzzle weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Associations! | Three by Three Category Puzzle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/three-by-three-category-puzzle/id6792812261/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | — | Ad-supported |
| Size | 7 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ikuhei Kure](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837581334) | [Accessible Ethical Apps llc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895509096) |

## What reviewers say

### Associations!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/associations/id6757896643)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly | $8.99 | per year |


### Three by Three Category Puzzle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/three-by-three-category-puzzle/id6792812261)

This word puzzle challenges you to find three secret categories and a single word that connects them all. With a "build a puzzle" tool, you can create and share your own challenges with the community.

**Highlights:** Identify secret categories, Find the connecting word, Build and share custom puzzles, Compete on leaderboards, Engaging word gameplay

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Associations! free?

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

### Is Three by Three Category Puzzle free?

Three by Three Category Puzzle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Associations! or Three by Three Category Puzzle have ads?

Both Associations! and Three by Three Category Puzzle show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Associations! or Three by Three Category Puzzle?

Associations! ships an update every 4 days, and Three by Three Category Puzzle weekly. Most recently, Associations! was updated on November 9, 2026 and Three by Three Category Puzzle on October 31, 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.*
