# Word Association! vs Knotwords

The clearest difference is ads: Knotwords at none against Word Association!'s shown. Knotwords also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Word Association!'s advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 73%). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Word Association! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Knotwords sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Knotwords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.2K and 8.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Word Association!'s written reviews are positive against 73% of Knotwords's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Word Association! ships an update every 4 months, Knotwords every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Word Association! | Knotwords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-association/id716759372/reviews) | **[4.8 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/knotwords/id1598756238/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8.2K | **8.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.2% of reviews** | 73.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 507 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Funnerware](https://appshunter.io/developer/674121296) | [Zach Gage](https://appshunter.io/developer/294263418) |

## What reviewers say

### Word Association!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/word-association/id716759372)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pack of 100 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| Relax Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Good Times Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stimulating Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Happy Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fun Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lucky Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Conquer Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Packs of 350 Hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Combo Pack (Unlocks all Packs, Plus future Packs & Removes Ads) | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Knotwords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/knotwords/id1598756238)

A daily word puzzle game that challenges you to arrange letters into valid words across and down. Its minimal design and intuitive progression make it an engaging and accessible brain teaser.

**Highlights:** Minimalist and elegant design, Logic-based word puzzles, Daily challenges, Intuitive progression system, Valid word arrangement

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knotwords Pro subscription | $4.99 | per year |
| Full Game | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 Fun and challenging
- 🚀 Simple but engaging
- 👍 Unique concept
- 👍 Addictive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Buggy cursor/input issues
- 🐛 Slow performance
- 🐛 Questionable word choices
- 🔋 Battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles with missing/incorrect squares
- Incorrect words being accepted
- Puzzles not properly credited as completed
- Hints not matching the correct answers

**Requested features**

- Ability to turn off haptic feedback
- Improved cursor/input behavior
- Cloud sync across devices
- Difficulty settings
- Ability to see definitions of completed words


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Word Association! free?

Word Association! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Knotwords free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Word Association! or Knotwords?

Knotwords is rated higher. Word Association! averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8.2K ratings, while Knotwords averages 4.8 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do Word Association! or Knotwords have ads?

Word Association! shows ads; Knotwords does not.

### Which is updated more often, Word Association! or Knotwords?

Word Association! ships an update every 4 months, and Knotwords every 10 days. Most recently, Word Association! was updated on October 29, 2026 and Knotwords on October 30, 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.*