# WordBubbles! vs ShiftFive

The clearest difference is rating: ShiftFive at 5.0 against WordBubbles!'s 4.4. ShiftFive also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%). WordBubbles!'s advantage is ratings volume (14K vs 6) and chart position (#87 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. WordBubbles! sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and ShiftFive sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ShiftFive holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WordBubbles! has 14K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of WordBubbles!'s written reviews are positive against 100% of ShiftFive's.

WordBubbles! ships an update every 2 months, ShiftFive monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | WordBubbles! | ShiftFive |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordbubbles/id922488002/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiftfive/id6502816034/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 80.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | — |
| Size | 113 MB | 68 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MAG Interactive](https://appshunter.io/developer/307343213) | [Braxton Smallwood](https://appshunter.io/developer/1732527885) |

## What reviewers say

### WordBubbles!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wordbubbles/id922488002)

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

A word puzzle game where you swipe letters to spell hidden words. It offers thousands of levels, daily challenges, and a blend of brainteaser and vocabulary-building gameplay. Compete with friends and sharpen your spelling skills.

**Highlights:** Swipe to spell hidden words, Thousands of levels, Daily word puzzle challenge, Vocabulary and spelling skill improvement, Compete with friends, Brainteaser and word game blend

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sale Package 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| Special Deal | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sale Package 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads + hints | $2.99 | one-time |
| Bonus Deal | $2.99 | one-time |
| 50 Hints | $4.99 | one-time |
| 105 Hints | $9.99 | one-time |
| 220 Hints | $19.99 | one-time |
| Super Deal | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎉 Fun and challenging
- 👍 Great brain exercise
- 💯 Consistently good
- 🤖 Helpful customer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Too many ads
- 🤖 Ads override sound settings
- 🤯 Frustrating glitches and bugs
- 🤔 Lack of sync across devices

**Reported bugs**

- Progress loss and reset to level 1
- Ads popping up during gameplay
- Inability to restore purchases
- Freezing and crashing issues

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to retry daily challenges
- Option to save solved words
- Customizable sound effects


### ShiftFive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shiftfive/id6502816034)

Engage in a strategic letter elimination game where you guess a five-letter word. Utilize color-coded feedback to eliminate letters and score points. Unlock rewards and themed word packs for extended gameplay.

**Highlights:** Strategic letter elimination, Color-coded feedback system, Daily Classic and Daily Shift modes, Unlockable rewards, Themed Word Packs, Scoring based on efficiency

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| It's Spooky Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gettin' Swoll Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pass the Popcorn Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| The Feels Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Nom Nom Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Feel the Beat Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| To Be Young Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| It's a Zoo Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| On the Go Word Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Word Packs + Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| 10 Word Packs+Unlimited+No Ads | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is WordBubbles! free?

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

### Is ShiftFive free?

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

### Which has better reviews, WordBubbles! or ShiftFive?

ShiftFive is rated higher. WordBubbles! averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while ShiftFive averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do WordBubbles! or ShiftFive have ads?

Both WordBubbles! and ShiftFive show ads.

### Which is updated more often, WordBubbles! or ShiftFive?

WordBubbles! ships an update every 2 months, and ShiftFive monthly. Most recently, WordBubbles! was updated on September 25, 2026 and ShiftFive on June 11, 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.*