# Codewords vs Chess64

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess64 at every 10 days against Codewords's every 9 months. Codewords's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Codewords sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Chess64 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, Chess64 every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Codewords | Chess64 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords/id682094723/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **85** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 15 MB | 211 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [Eljin Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775831563) |

## 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


### Chess64

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess64/id6789981845)

**Features:** iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Chess64 Pro | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Codewords free?

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

### Is Chess64 free?

Chess64 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Codewords or Chess64 have ads?

Neither Codewords nor Chess64 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Codewords or Chess64?

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, and Chess64 every 10 days. Most recently, Codewords was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess64 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.*