# Codewords vs Arrow Crossword & Other Games

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Codewords at 77% against Arrow Crossword & Other Games's 41%. Codewords also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Arrow Crossword & Other Games's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (795 vs 85). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Codewords sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Arrow Crossword & Other Games sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Codewords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Arrow Crossword & Other Games has 795 ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Codewords's written reviews are positive against 41% of Arrow Crossword & Other Games's.

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, Arrow Crossword & Other Games every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Codewords | Arrow Crossword & Other Games |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords/id682094723/reviews)** | [4.5 (795 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrow-crossword-and-other-games/id1013462300/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 85 | **795** |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 41.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [Havos](https://appshunter.io/developer/309789068) |

## What reviewers say

### Codewords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords/id682094723)

Engage your mind with unique crossword puzzles where letters are replaced by numbers. Solve the code by deducing which number represents which letter to complete the grid. Perfect for a quick mental workout.

**Highlights:** Number-to-letter decoding, 900 complete puzzles, Zooming grid, Cheats and answer checking, Landscape mode

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 1) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 2) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 3) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 6) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 9) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 11) | $0.99 | one-time |
| All packs (best value) | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable and engaging gameplay
- 🧠 Good brain exercise
- 💡 Variety of difficulty levels
- ✅ Easy to use interface
- ⏳ No timer, relaxing gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional spelling errors
- ❓ Bizarre and uncommon words
- 💸 In-app purchase issues
- 📉 Some levels too easy
- 🚫 Ads covering game elements

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional spelling errors
- Puzzles not registering as completed
- Purchase history erased
- Restore purchases button does nothing
- Ads covering game elements

**Requested features**

- Optimize for new iPhones
- Option to reduce given letters
- More puzzles in the future


### Arrow Crossword & Other Games

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrow-crossword-and-other-games/id1013462300)

Engage with a variety of word puzzles and brain games in one application. Choose from multiple game types, customize difficulty, and play in numerous languages. Hints are available to assist you in finding the correct answers.

**Highlights:** Multiple word game types, Customizable game generator, Multilingual support, In-game hints, Portrait and landscape modes, Automatic game creation

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter (no ads) | $9.99 | per year |
| STANDARD | $0.99 | one-time |
| POPULAR | $4.99 | one-time |
| HUGE | $9.99 | one-time |
| ULTIMATE | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Awesome games
- 🧠 Keeps the brain working
- 👍 Great puzzles and challenges
- 😊 Enjoyable and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤑 Money-grabbing scheme
- 🙄 Childish coins overlay
- 🤯 Frustrating ads and crashes
- 👎 Poor design and layout
- 🤔 Clues don't make sense

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezing
- Incompatibility with newer devices
- Clues not appearing when highlighted

**Requested features**

- Bigger text and ability to zoom
- Customizable subject matters
- Standalone version without coins and ads
- Ability to move between words without touching the puzzle
- Removal of Roman numeral questions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Codewords free?

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

### Is Arrow Crossword & Other Games free?

Arrow Crossword & Other Games is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Codewords or Arrow Crossword & Other Games?

Codewords is rated higher. Codewords averages 4.8 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Arrow Crossword & Other Games averages 4.5 from 795 ratings.

### Do Codewords or Arrow Crossword & Other Games have ads?

Arrow Crossword & Other Games shows ads; Codewords does not.

### Which is updated more often, Codewords or Arrow Crossword & Other Games?

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, and Arrow Crossword & Other Games every 3 months. Most recently, Codewords was updated on November 1, 2026 and Arrow Crossword & Other Games on November 6, 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.*