Comparison

Word Association! vs SpellTower

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

Head to head
About

Word Association!

Engage in a relaxing word game by matching pairs of related words. Explore connections like synonyms, opposites, or compound word parts. Hundreds of puzzles are available, with hints to help you along the way.

Highlights
  • Match related word pairs
  • Synonyms, opposites, compound words
  • 40 free puzzles included
  • Hundreds of additional puzzles for purchase
  • Hint system available
  • Relaxing gameplay
Features
Read full description

Matching pairs of related words is fun and relaxing. Words can by synonyms, opposites, parts of a compound word, or they might just seem to go together. Word Association comes with 40 free puzzles, and there are hundreds more available for purchase. Hints are also available if you get stuck. If you enjoy jigsaw puzzles, hangman, word searches and crosswords, you will love this game! Try it today.

About

SpellTower

This word game challenges players to find words as tiles rise from the bottom. Strategize to clear columns before they reach the top. Features multiple game modes, bonus tiles, and detailed statistics.

Highlights
  • Rising tile mechanic
  • Multiple game modes
  • Bonus tiles
  • Detailed statistics
  • Game Center leaderboards
  • iCloud Backup
Features
Read full description

The original best-selling mobile word game, reimagined! Pick your words wisely! As you play, more tiles rise from the bottom of the screen! It'll take all of your lexicological wits, and tactical know-how to keep your columns down. If any letters make it to the top row, it's game over. Classic modes Daily Tower, Tower, Puzzle, Rush and Zen are all back and packed with brand new BONUS TILES that double (or more!) word values. Joining them is the brand new Search mode, plus ExPuzzle, Double Puzzle, Bubble Puzzle, and Blitz mode! That’s eleven modes in all! Plus iCloud Backup, Highscores reported for games even while in-progress, detailed statistics for every mode, Game Center leaderboards, and achievements. ————————— It’s pretty wild to be revisiting my first hit game, SpellTower. I can't believe it's almost 10 years since it released. The first iPhones it ran on had a 3.5 inch screen and 320 x 480 resolution! I literally did a double-take at that resolution when I looked it up. A funny part about having a hit game is people talk to you about it. With SpellTower I heard about grandparents playing the game every morning to keep their minds sharp, parents playing it with their kids, expectant mothers playing it to get through morning sickness, and countless sightings of strangers playing it on subways, planes — even elevators. I got into games because I wanted to connect with people in a positive way. I wanted to help people think critically and come away with more than they arrived with. Games felt like a way to do this on a huge scale, but the stories I heard from SpellTower players taught me that games do so much more for people than I ever expected. I’m deeply grateful that SpellTower has been able to be something special for so many people, and I think that’s why so many people have shared it with friends, loved ones, and strangers on elevators. Even though SpellTower is a game I made, it’s really barely mine anymore. The experiences and love I had for the game has been outstripped by its audiences a thousandfold. I thought a lot about all the experiences that people have had with the game when I was designing this new version. I hope it gives everyone who’s loved the game a reason to pick it back up again and share it amongst their friends and family. -zach

Screenshots

Word Association!4 screens
SpellTower4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Word Association! at 90% against SpellTower's 38%. Word Association! also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (8.2K vs 634). SpellTower's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Word Association! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and SpellTower sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Word Association! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Word Association! has 8.2K ratings behind it against 634, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Word Association!'s written reviews are positive against 38% of SpellTower's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Word Association! ships an update every 4 months, SpellTower every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Word Association! versus SpellTower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWord Association!SpellTower
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (8.2K ratings) — better3.7 (634 ratings)
Positive reviews90.2% of reviews — better37.7% of reviews
Number of ratings8.2K — better634
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFunnerwareZach Gage

Customer experience

Word Association!

All ratings8,181 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral6.6%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews215 reviews
Positive90.2%
Neutral4.2%
Negative5.6%

SpellTower

All ratings629 ratings
Positive62.2%
Neutral11.3%
Negative26.6%
Written reviews207 reviews
Positive37.7%
Neutral19.3%
Negative43.0%

User reviews

Word Association!

From 8.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Enjoyable game
  • 🧠 Challenges the mind
  • 🧠 Helps improve vocabulary
  • 🧠 Good brain exercise
  • 🧠 Keeps the mind sharp

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs with navigation buttons
  • 🕰️ Timed gameplay can be stressful
  • 💰 Paywalled content
  • 📢 Too many ads
  • 🔤 Some word associations are questionable

SpellTower

From 634 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Challenging and fun
  • 🧠 Great brain exercise
  • 🎨 Elegant and well-designed
  • 🕰️ Relaxing gameplay
  • 👍 Addictive and enjoyable

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Dictionary needs updating
  • 🤖 Words not recognized despite being valid
  • 💰 Ads too frequent and intrusive
  • 🔒 Paid version doesn't remove all ads
  • 🤯 Frustrating when game ends unexpectedly

Bugs and requests

Word Association!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Replay and Next Level buttons not working
  • Freezing/crashing issues
  • Incorrect word associations

Requested features

5 requests
  • More word packs and levels
  • Ability to disable timer
  • Larger font size options
  • Themed word packs
  • Ability to save progress and resume later

SpellTower

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes or crashes
  • Tutorial gets stuck and can't be skipped
  • Scoring and progress issues
  • Compatibility problems on certain devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Undo/Redo functionality
  • Adjustable difficulty levels
  • Sync progress across devices
  • Offline gameplay mode
  • More game modes and customization options

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Word Association!

One-time10
  • Pack of 100 Hints$0.99
  • Relax Pack$0.99
  • Good Times Pack$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Stimulating Pack$0.99
  • Happy Pack$0.99
  • Fun Pack$0.99
  • Lucky Pack$0.99
  • Conquer Pack$0.99
  • Packs of 350 Hints$2.99
  • Combo Pack (Unlocks all Packs, Plus future Packs & Removes Ads)$7.99
1 purchases

SpellTower

One-time1
  • Full Game Unlock$4.99

Questions

Is Word Association! free?
Word Association! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SpellTower free?
SpellTower is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Word Association! or SpellTower?
Word Association! is rated higher. Word Association! averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8.2K ratings, while SpellTower averages 3.7 from 634 ratings.
Do Word Association! or SpellTower have ads?
Both Word Association! and SpellTower show ads.
Which is updated more often, Word Association! or SpellTower?
Word Association! ships an update every 4 months, and SpellTower every 2 days. Most recently, Word Association! was updated on November 1, 2026 and SpellTower on November 3, 2026.

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