# Qwirkle vs Ubongo

Qwirkle and Ubongo both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 69% of Ubongo's written reviews are positive against 36% of Qwirkle's. Ubongo also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). Qwirkle's advantage is ratings volume (1.9K vs 126) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Qwirkle costs $2.99 and Ubongo $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Qwirkle against 4.6 for Ubongo. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Qwirkle has 1.9K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 36% of Qwirkle's written reviews are positive against 69% of Ubongo's.

Qwirkle ships an update every 3 months, Ubongo every 7 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Qwirkle | Ubongo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qwirkle/id684932119/reviews) | **[4.6 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ubongo-puzzle-challenge/id1031545098/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 126 |
| Positive reviews | 35.9% of reviews | **68.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#26** | — |
| Size | 179 MB | 90 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MindWare](https://appshunter.io/developer/786499030) | [United Soft Media Verlag GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/330111789) |

## What reviewers say

### Qwirkle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/qwirkle/id684932119)

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Experience the award-winning board game Qwirkle on your mobile device. Strategize by matching tiles based on color and shape to score points. Enjoy solo play, online multiplayer, and pass-and-play modes with customizable options and engaging animations.

**Highlights:** Solo, Online, and Pass and Play modes, Up to 4 players, 4 difficulty levels, Achievements and Leaderboards, Customizable backgrounds and tile colors, Tutorial and Help sections

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fun game
- 👍 Great translation to digital
- 👍 Entertaining
- 👍 Good for the mind
- 👍 Addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy app
- 🐛 Clunky interface
- 🐛 Freezing issues
- 🐛 Buggy online play
- 🐛 Unreliable notifications

**Reported bugs**

- Games disappearing or not loading properly
- Inability to start new games with friends
- Tiles/bag not functioning correctly
- Moves not registering properly
- Crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Add chat/messaging feature
- Improve online game invitations and management
- Add notifications for turns
- Improve scoring display and accuracy
- Add more customization options


### Ubongo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ubongo-puzzle-challenge/id1031545098)

Engage your brain with this fast-paced puzzle game. Solve interlocking shape puzzles quickly to earn jewels and improve visual thinking. Compete against others online or enjoy various single-player modes with increasing difficulty.

**Highlights:** Fast-paced puzzle solving, Jewel rewards for speed, Visual thinking improvement, Single-player modes (Levels, Free, Time-Attack), Cross-platform multiplayer, Original and new shapes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Qwirkle free?

Qwirkle costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ubongo free?

Ubongo costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Qwirkle or Ubongo?

Ubongo is rated higher. Qwirkle averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Ubongo averages 4.6 from 126 ratings.

### Do Qwirkle or Ubongo have ads?

Neither Qwirkle nor Ubongo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Qwirkle or Ubongo?

Qwirkle ships an update every 3 months, and Ubongo every 7 months. Most recently, Qwirkle was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ubongo on November 1, 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.*