Comparison

LockWords vs WidgetWord

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

LockWords

Features
Read full description

Get a little smarter every time you unlock your phone. LockWords puts a new card under the clock on your Lock Screen, every hour or on whatever schedule you pick: a word worth knowing, a fact, a Bible verse, a line from Marcus Aurelius, a painting with its story. It takes a few seconds, and over a week it adds up. LEARN IN SECONDS, WITHOUT SITTING DOWN TO STUDY Read the card, learn the word, move on. Tap "I know it" and the word leaves the rotation, so you only see what is still new to you. A small ring on the Lock Screen shows how much of your word packs you already know. On the medium and large Home Screen widgets you also get Next, plus Save on verses, quotes and facts. Save the cards and artworks you like and share the ones you want to pass on. 22 CARD PACKS, 5,468 CARDS Smart Words, SAT and GRE words, rare and beautiful words, idioms, Latin phrases, Spanish and French basics, business vocabulary, Bible verses (KJV), short prayers, affirmations, Stoic quotes, calm reminders, money wisdom, fun facts, space and science, psychology, On This Day and riddles. Mix several packs into one widget, or pin a single pack to it. KNOW THE ART YOU LOOK AT 292 public-domain artworks in 6 packs, from Impressionism to Japanese woodblock prints, botanical illustrations, old maps, space and the Dutch Golden Age. Each one comes with its story and a credit to the museum that holds it. Open a painting and zoom in to see the brushwork up close, even offline. The Art of the Day widget asks who made it, when, or which plant or place it shows. Tap one of three answers right on the medium or large Home Screen widget, no need to open the app. The title, the artist and the year show up after you answer, and your streak keeps count. SKY & DAY The Moon's phase, how much of it is lit, sunrise and sunset, the change in daylight since yesterday, and the week number. It works without a place; add a city or your approximate location if you want local sunrise and sunset. Location is optional and asked for only when you choose to use it. THREE WIDGET STYLES Choose Full Bleed, Glass Window or Almanac for your Home Screen widgets in Edit Widget. The Widgets tab shows every widget with a live preview and the steps to add it to your Lock Screen, Home Screen or StandBy. THE DETAILS • Lock Screen, Home Screen and StandBy widgets • A new card every 30 minutes, every hour, every few hours or once a day • Works offline • The app speaks 29 languages; the word cards are in English, the artwork stories are translated • No account, no ads, no tracking ONE-TIME PURCHASES, NO SUBSCRIPTION Affirmations and the Impressionism art pack are included, and every other pack lets you try its first cards before you buy. Get a single pack with a one-time purchase, a whole collection (Words & Wisdom or Art), or All Packs, which also includes every pack we add later. There is no subscription. Right now there are 28 packs: nearly 5,500 cards and 292 artworks. Terms of Use: https://xzot.github.io/lockwords/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://xzot.github.io/lockwords/privacy.html

About

WidgetWord

Learn new vocabulary daily through customizable home screen and lock screen widgets. Access pronunciation, detailed explanations, and example sentences within the app. Choose from English, Spanish, or Russian, and select your CEFR level for personalized learning.

Highlights
  • Daily vocabulary widgets
  • Pronunciation and examples
  • Multiple language options
  • CEFR level selection
  • iCloud sync
  • Ad-free experience
Features
Read full description

A new word every hour, right where you already look. WidgetWord puts a word and its translation in a Home Screen or Lock Screen widget, and each hour a fresh one takes its place. Tap the speaker on the medium Home Screen widget to hear it, or open the app for a fuller explanation and an example. Learn English, Spanish, or Russian from either of the other two: every combination of the three works in both directions. Pick one of six CEFR levels, A1 through C2. The word changes every hour by default; in Settings you can speed it up or slow it down, from every minute to every two hours. The system decides exactly when a widget refreshes, so a new word may sometimes show up a little late. There is no account, no course to complete, and no streak to protect. Every word, level, and widget is free. If WidgetWord helps you, you can leave an optional one-time tip in Settings. Tips do not unlock features. Your language choices and level can follow you to another device through your Apple Account when iCloud is available. The app has no advertising, analytics, or cross-app tracking. See the Privacy Policy for details about iCloud, purchases, the website, and support email. WidgetWord is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro. Widget availability and presentation vary by platform.

Screenshots

LockWords4 screens
WidgetWord4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: WidgetWord at every 2 days against LockWords's every 9 days. WidgetWord also leads on device support (6 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. LockWords sells 22 one-off in-app purchases and WidgetWord sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LockWords ships an update every 9 days, WidgetWord every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
LockWords versus WidgetWord: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLockWordsWidgetWord
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size89 MB24 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperVladyslav ShchukaHave Fun LLC

In-app purchases

22 purchases

LockWords

One-time22
  • Psalms & Proverbs$2.99
  • Wisdom of the Saints$2.99
  • Business Vocabulary$2.99
Show 19 more
  • French Basics$2.99
  • Dutch Golden Age$2.99
  • Botanical Illustrations$2.99
  • Old Maps$2.99
  • Japanese Woodblock Prints$2.99
  • Space Art$2.99
  • Verses for Anxiety$2.99
  • Calm Reminders$2.99
  • Self-Love & Confidence$2.99
  • Discipline & Motivation$2.99
  • Money Wisdom$2.99
  • Fun Facts$2.99
  • Psychology Facts$2.99
  • On This Day$2.99
  • Space & Science$2.99
  • Riddles$2.99
  • Faith Bundle$6.99
  • Art Collection$7.99
  • Words & Wisdom Collection$12.99
4 purchases

WidgetWord

One-time4
  • Small Tip$1.00
  • Medium Tip$2.00
  • Large Tip$5.00
Show 1 more
  • Generous Tip$10.00

Questions

Is LockWords free?
LockWords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WidgetWord free?
WidgetWord is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do LockWords or WidgetWord have ads?
Neither LockWords nor WidgetWord shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LockWords or WidgetWord?
LockWords ships an update every 9 days, and WidgetWord every 2 days. Most recently, LockWords was updated on October 31, 2026 and WidgetWord on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons