# Hex Jewels™ vs Coded Word Search

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hex Jewels™ at none against Coded Word Search's 8. Hex Jewels™ also leads on ratings volume (404 vs 2). Coded Word Search's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Coded Word Search sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Hex Jewels™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Coded Word Search holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hex Jewels™ has 404 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Hex Jewels™'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Coded Word Search's.

Hex Jewels™ ships an update every 5 months, Coded Word Search every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hex Jewels™ | Coded Word Search |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (404 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-jewels/id908463295/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coded-word-search/id1526085085/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **404** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 94.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 59 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Boy Howdy Technology LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/293910537) | [ROSE METAL PRODUCTS, INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526085087) |

## What reviewers say

### Hex Jewels™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-jewels/id908463295)

This is a free puzzle game where you group five or more identical jewels to clear them from the board. Plan your moves carefully as new jewels grow after each turn. Clear the target number of jewels before the board fills to win.

**Highlights:** Group five or more identical jewels, Clear target number of jewels, Endless levels, No timer for relaxed play, High score leaderboards, Automatic progress saving

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Highly addictive and engaging gameplay
- 👍 No time pressure or stress-inducing timers
- 🎨 Colorful and visually appealing graphics
- 🧠 Excellent brain workout and mental challenge
- 🎮 Easy to pick up and play in short sessions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game resets to level 1 after inactivity
- 💣 Excessive bomb generation at higher levels
- 😤 Extreme difficulty spike at levels 80-90
- 😞 Frustrating difficulty progression becomes stressful
- 🔊 No in-app sound toggle option

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saved after closing app or inactivity
- Game resets to level 1 unexpectedly
- Point counter fails to credit valid moves
- Bombs trigger too frequently at high levels

**Requested features**

- Sound toggle within app settings
- Hint button for stuck players
- Back button for undoing moves
- Achievement milestones and progression badges
- Ability to clear entire board


### Coded Word Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/coded-word-search/id1526085085)

This game offers a unique twist on word searches by encrypting every letter. Players must find words to decipher the code and solve puzzles, earning in-game currency for hints. Progress through levels and increase your in-game score by completing numerous challenges.

**Highlights:** Encrypted letter puzzles, Code-cracking gameplay, In-game hint system, Progress tracking (Cred), Multiple difficulty levels

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Play Untimed | $0.99 | one-time |
| 50K Keys | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| 200K Keys | $2.99 | one-time |
| 500K Keys | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1M  Keys | $6.99 | one-time |
| 10M Keys | $19.99 | one-time |
| 100M Keys | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hex Jewels™ free?

Hex Jewels™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Coded Word Search free?

Coded Word Search is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hex Jewels™ or Coded Word Search?

Coded Word Search is rated higher. Hex Jewels™ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 404 ratings, while Coded Word Search averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Hex Jewels™ or Coded Word Search have ads?

Both Hex Jewels™ and Coded Word Search show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hex Jewels™ or Coded Word Search?

Hex Jewels™ ships an update every 5 months, and Coded Word Search every 3 months. Most recently, Hex Jewels™ was updated on October 20, 2026 and Coded Word Search on October 14, 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.*