The 6 Best Word Games for iPhone and Android in 2026
Your aunt just played a seven-letter word on a triple word score. The whole family chat knows. Want revenge, or just a quiet crossword? There's a game for that.
The short answer
NYT Games Best overallNYT Games is the best word game for iPhone and Android. Wordle, Connections and Strands are free every day, and a subscription adds the Crossword. Wordfeud is the cleanest head-to-head board game. Wordscapes is the relaxed solo pick, and Words With Friends is the social classic.
We checked every app's store page, prices and privacy label in October 2026, then scored each on 5 things. How we rank
Which one is for you?
Best overallNYT GamesWord nerds who like a short daily ritual and a streak to defend
2
Best no-frills duelsWordfeudBoard game purists who want rivals, not reward tracks
3
Best relaxing word gameWordscapesWord lovers who want endless levels at their own pace
4
Best trivia crosswordCodyCrossTrivia fans who like learning something with every grid
5
Best for playing friendsWords With FriendsFamilies and friends who want a slow, chatty word rivalry
6
Best official ScrabbleScrabble GOScrabble fans who want the official rules plus plenty of side modes
- NYT Games leads: Wordle, Connections and Strands are free daily. The Crossword needs a subscription.
- Want rivals? Wordfeud is the cleanest duel. Words With Friends and Scrabble GO pile on extra modes.
- All six show ads when you play free. One Wordfeud Premium upgrade is the easiest way to lose them.
The best word games for iPhone and Android come in three flavors. There are sharp daily puzzles, long turn-based duels with people you know, and endless calm solo levels. Pick your flavor first. Then check the ads. Every game here shows them when you play free, and the fixes cost very different amounts.
Keep reading
Each card below says what it costs to play in peace, from one upgrade to a monthly subscription.
No pick ticks every box.
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Best overall
1. NYT Games
0Wordle, Connections and Strands in one app, free every day, with a streak to protect.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android · Web
8.4Your friends' scores are on the leaderboard before you've had breakfast. NYT Games puts Wordle, Connections and Strands in one place for free. Then WordleBot and the Connections Bot grade your play. You learn why a guess was clever, or very much not.
More about NYT Games
A subscription adds the full Crossword, the Midi, Spelling Bee and an archive of thousands of past puzzles. Weekly bonus puzzles and seasonal editions keep things fresh. The catch: the App Store listing mentions ads, and the privacy label lists a lot of tracking.
Great forWord nerds who like a short daily ritual and a streak to defend
The catchHeavy tracking, and the Crossword and archive need a subscription
Source: App Store -
Best no-frills duels
2. Wordfeud
0Just the board, your tiles and a rival's move waiting. No chests, no boosts, no fuss.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android
- No subscription
7.8It's late, and three rivals moved while you made dinner. Wordfeud runs up to thirty games at once. Take as long as you like on each move. No chests or boosts clutter the board. You just play the word.
More about Wordfeud
Pick a dictionary in one of ten languages, including US or international English. Or try a random board that shuffles the bonus squares. The free version has ads. One Premium upgrade, just under six dollars on the App Store, removes them and adds stats. The catch: no solo puzzles are listed, so you need opponents.
Great forBoard game purists who want rivals, not reward tracks
The catchAds until you upgrade, and nothing to play solo on quiet days
Source: App Store -
Best relaxing word game
3. Wordscapes
0No timer, no rivals, just a wheel of letters and a crossword waiting to be filled.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android
7.8You spot a long word hiding in the wheel, swipe it, and the grid starts to make sense. Wordscapes is built on that little click. Thousands of puzzles get harder slowly. Tries are unlimited for when your brain goes blank.
More about Wordscapes
Teams, seasonal events and collectible wildlife give you goals beyond the next level. You can play in English, Spanish, German, French or Portuguese. The catch: it's free with ads and coin offers. The App Store also gives it a surprisingly high age rating for simulated gambling.
Great forWord lovers who want endless levels at their own pace
The catchAds and coin offers, plus a surprisingly high App Store age rating
Source: App Store -
Best trivia crossword
4. CodyCross
0Crossword clues that double as pub-quiz questions, with a secret word hiding in every grid.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android
- Works offline
7.7The clue is a bit of trivia you half remember from school. The letters already in the grid beg you to finish it. CodyCross builds its crosswords from trivia clues across themed worlds. Every solved puzzle reveals a secret word.
More about CodyCross
Today's Crossword and Today's Password add daily goals. Main map levels you've already loaded work offline. The catch: free play shows an ad after each level, and the store leans on loot boxes. Under a dollar buys thirty ad-free days. Or a monthly Club plan removes ads while you subscribe.
Great forTrivia fans who like learning something with every grid
The catchAn ad after every level unless you pay to pause them
Source: App Store -
Best for playing friends
5. Words With Friends
0The word rivalry your whole family already knows how to join, now with a bigger dictionary.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android
7.5Your mom has been sitting on her turn since Tuesday. Honestly, that's half the fun. Words With Friends is built for slow, chatty rivalries with people you know. Smart Match finds an opponent when family goes quiet, and Solo Challenge fills the gaps.
More about Words With Friends
An October 2026 update added more than twenty-five thousand playable words, plus a tool to report bad ones. The Rewards Pass changes theme every six weeks. The catch: ads pop up between moves, and purchases include paid random items. The App Store lists an Ad Free Bundle at just under ten dollars.
Great forFamilies and friends who want a slow, chatty word rivalry
The catchAds between moves, paid random items and heavy tracking
Source: App Store -
Best official Scrabble
6. Scrabble GO
0Real Scrabble rules and word lists, wrapped in more modes, chests and boosts than you'll need.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android
7.3Somebody plays a word you've never heard of. You want the official rulebook to settle it. Scrabble GO uses the official board, tiles and Scrabble dictionaries, so arguments end fast. Practice Mode against the computer keeps you sharp between real games.
More about Scrabble GO
Quick modes like Duels, Word Drop and Tumbler mix things up. Stats track your head-to-head record. The catch: chests of collectible tiles count as loot boxes on the App Store. And ads only go away with a Scrabble Club subscription, from about five dollars a month.
Great forScrabble fans who want the official rules plus plenty of side modes
The catchLoot-box chests, and only a monthly subscription removes ads
Source: App Store
Side by side
| # | App | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
NYT Games |
Best overall |
| 2 |
Wordfeud |
Best no-frills duels |
| 3 |
Wordscapes |
Best relaxing word game |
| 4 |
CodyCross |
Best trivia crossword |
| 5 |
Words With Friends |
Best for playing friends |
| 6 |
Scrabble GO |
Best official Scrabble |
How to choose
How do you pick the best word games for iPhone and Android?
First decide: do you want a daily habit, a rivalry or a binge? NYT Games gives you a few fresh puzzles each day. Wordfeud, Words With Friends and Scrabble GO are turn-based duels against real people. Wordscapes and CodyCross let you play solo, level after level. CodyCross even keeps loaded levels playable offline.
How can you play word games without ads?
You pay to switch them off, since every pick here shows ads when you play free. Wordfeud is the simplest: one Premium upgrade, just under six dollars on the App Store. Words With Friends lists an Ad Free Bundle at just under ten dollars. CodyCross sells thirty ad-free days for under a dollar.
Scrabble GO only drops ads with its Scrabble Club subscription, from about five dollars a month. NYT Games and Wordscapes show ads too. Want none at all? Baba Is You, a logic puzzle built from word blocks, is a one-time purchase with no ads.
Start with NYT Games: Wordle, Connections and Strands are free every day. Would you rather beat a real person? Wordfeud is the cleanest duel, and one upgrade makes it ad-free.
See why NYT Games is #1Compare the top picks
Questions people ask
What is the best free word game?
NYT Games is the best free option, since Wordle, Connections and Strands cost nothing to play. All six picks here are free to download, but each one shows ads when you play free.
Is NYT Games better than Wordfeud?
They do different jobs. NYT Games is the pick for a short daily puzzle habit, while Wordfeud is better for long turn-based board games against friends or matched rivals.
Are there word games without ads?
None of these picks is ad-free at first, but Wordfeud's one-time Premium upgrade removes all its ads for just under six dollars on the App Store. Words With Friends sells an Ad Free Bundle, CodyCross sells thirty ad-free days for under a dollar, and Scrabble GO only drops ads with a monthly Scrabble Club subscription.
What is the best word game to play with friends?
Words With Friends is the easiest to get family and friends into, and Smart Match steps in when they go quiet. Wordfeud is cleaner if you hate clutter, and Scrabble GO has the official Scrabble rules.
