Lexicon vs Word500
Lexicon vs Word500: The Counts-Only Word Game Compared
Lexicon and Word500 are the closest thing to sibling games in this whole comparison series — both hide a five-letter word and give you plain counts (correct, present, absent) instead of Wordle's color-coded tiles, so the core deduction puzzle is nearly identical. What actually differs is everything around that puzzle: how many guesses you get, what the page looks like while you're solving, and what's free versus paywalled.
The short verdict
If you want the same counts-only deduction with zero ads and three difficulty tiers, play Lexicon. If a completely free, unpaywalled archive of past puzzles matters more to you than an ad-free board, Word500 already has that built — it's a genuine edge worth knowing about rather than pretending it doesn't exist.
Play Lexicon freeLexicon vs Word500 at a glance
| Lexicon | Word500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Feedback | Three counts: correct, present, absent — letters unidentified | Same counts-only format, no color tiles |
| Guesses | 8 | 8 (based on the visible board — not separately confirmed in writing) |
| Difficulty levels | Easy, normal and hard word pools | A difficulty-level option is present; exact tiers not verified |
| Archive | Last 30 days (Pro) | Free, unpaywalled — browse past daily puzzles with no account |
| Ads | None on the board | Banner ad on the game page, plus a consent screen disclosing data sharing with 141 third parties |
| Practice mode | Unlimited, free | Unlimited, free |
| Price | Free, no account required | Free, no account required to play |
Two nearly identical puzzles
This isn't like comparing Lexicon to Wordle, where the actual mechanic changes. Word500 popularized the same idea Lexicon builds on — strip out position clues, give counts only — so if you've played one, you already know how to play the other. The real decision here isn't about puzzle difficulty; it's about what surrounds the puzzle.
The ad load is the real difference
Word500's own cookie-consent screen discloses that data is shared with 141 third parties for advertising and analytics, and a banner ad sits directly on the game page. Lexicon's board carries no ads at all — the site funds itself through an optional Pro tier instead of ad impressions, which is also why there's nothing between you and the puzzle grid.
Where Word500 actually has us beat
Credit where it's due: Word500's archive of past daily puzzles is free to browse, with no account and no Pro tier gating it. Lexicon's 30-day archive is a Pro-only feature. If replaying old puzzles matters more to you than an ad-free board, that's a genuine reason to prefer Word500 today — we'd rather say so plainly than pretend every column in this table favors us.
Play Lexicon if…
- You want the same counts-only deduction with no ads on the board
- You want three difficulty tiers, not one fixed pool
- You want to play in English, French or Spanish
Play Word500 if…
- You want a free, unpaywalled archive of past puzzles right now
- You don't mind a banner ad and a longer cookie-consent screen
Lexicon vs Word500: frequently asked questions
Is Lexicon the same as Word500?
Mechanically, very close — both give five-letter counts-only feedback (correct, present, absent) instead of Wordle's color tiles. They differ mainly in ads, archive access, and difficulty options rather than the core puzzle.
Is Lexicon a good Word500 alternative?
Yes, especially if you want the same deduction format without ads on the board. Word500 currently has a free puzzle archive that Lexicon gates behind Pro, so check which matters more to you.
Does Word500 have ads?
Yes — a banner ad is visible on the game page, and its cookie-consent screen discloses sharing data with 141 third parties.
Is Lexicon free?
Yes, the daily puzzle and unlimited practice mode are both free with no account required.
Which has more difficulty options, Lexicon or Word500?
Lexicon has three confirmed word-pool tiers (easy, normal, hard). Word500 shows a difficulty-level control but we haven't independently verified how many tiers it offers.
Keep reading
7 Word500 Alternatives Worth Playing (2026 Edition)
Looking for games like Word500? These daily word puzzles use the same guess-and-deduce format — with more colors, more languages and better daily challenges.
Lexicon Strategy Guide: How to Solve a Wordle-Style Puzzle Without Color Clues
Lexicon strips away positional feedback. Here's a step-by-step strategy for solving it faster — and why it makes the game more interesting than Wordle.
Wordle Without Color Clues: How Lexicon's Deduction Actually Works
Curious what Wordle feels like when the yellow and green squares disappear? Here's how Lexicon rebuilds the guessing game as pure deduction.