What Beats Rock App vs Website: Which Is Better?

What Beats Rock is an AI-powered browser game developed by Khoi Le and Kyle Gian, released in July 2024. It’s essentially a supercharged version of Rock-Paper-Scissors but instead of a fixed set of moves, an LLM (Large Language Model) judges whether your answer logically beats the previous one.

You start with “Rock.” You say something that beats rock — let’s say “Scissors.” Then something that beats scissors. And you keep going. The twist: the AI decides if your answer is valid, so creativity and logic both matter. Players have built chains dozens of moves long, with gems like “Godzilla beats nuclear bomb” and “the concept of ownership beats Godzilla.”

If you’re new to the game entirely, our complete What Beats Rock game guide and strategy covers everything you need to know before your first session.

The game became a viral sensation in mid-2024, eventually spawning both a website and native mobile apps on iOS and Android. That’s where our comparison begins.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	🌐 Website	📱 App
Cost	✅ Completely Free	❌ Free with Paywall
Move Limit (Free)	✅ Unlimited	❌ ~5 moves
Account Required	✅ No	⚠️ Optional
AI Quality	✅ Smarter, more consistent	⚠️ More restrictive logic
Leaderboard / Hiscores	✅ Yes (weekly reset)	✅ Yes
Accessibility	Any browser, any device	iOS & Android only
Offline Play	❌ No (AI requires internet)	❌ No (AI requires internet)
Premium Cost	N/A	Weekly subscription or lifetime fee
Bug Reports	Occasional	More frequent (“something went wrong”)
Best For	Casual and serious players	Paying players who want mobile UX

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The Website: What You Actually Get

The website at whatbeatsrock.com is where the game originated, and it remains the purest version of the experience. You visit the page, type your answer, and the AI responds. No app download, no login, no subscription popup after your fifth move.

What works well on the website

The biggest advantage is the completely unrestricted free play. You can build a 50-move chain in a single session with zero friction. There are weekly leaderboards (hiscores reset every week) that create a surprisingly competitive meta around who can build the most creative and longest chains.

From personal experience, the AI on the website handles edge cases better. When I submitted “the concept of love beats a sword” — a philosophically abstract answer — the website’s AI accepted it with a logical explanation. The app rejected it outright. This pattern held across multiple abstract submissions: the website AI is more willing to engage with creative leaps.

For players chasing high scores, the unlimited nature of the website is essential. Check out our What Beats Rock high score guide to hitting a 100 streak for specific strategies that are much easier to execute without a 5-move wall cutting you off.

Downsides of the website

It’s not perfect. On mobile browsers, the text input can feel clunky — you’re essentially using a desktop-first layout on a phone. There’s no push notification to remind you to play or compete. And if you’re in a loud environment and want a dedicated app experience, the website doesn’t offer that level of polish.

Website Pros:

• Unlimited moves — no paywall ever
• Sharper, more flexible AI reasoning
• No download or account needed
• Works on any device with a browser
• Weekly competitive leaderboards

Website Cons:

• Mobile browser UX is less polished than a native app
• No push notifications or home screen presence
• No offline capability

The App: What You Actually Get

The What Beats Rock mobile app is available on both the iOS App Store (rated 4.5 with ~897 ratings) and Google Play (4.0 with ~1,497 ratings). On paper, those are decent ratings. But the reviews paint a more complicated picture when you read closely.

The 5-move limit is a real problem

The most consistent complaint in app store reviews is the 5-move limit on the free version. You start a chain, build momentum, hit five moves, and the app asks you to subscribe or buy a lifetime plan. For a game whose entire appeal is building long creative chains, cutting players off at five moves is deeply frustrating.

This kind of double-billing complaint — where a “lifetime” purchase still requires ongoing payment — appears multiple times in app reviews and is a significant red flag for potential buyers.

Where the app does add value

If you pay for premium, the app experience is genuinely polished. The interface is purpose-built for mobile, with smooth animations and a cleaner layout than the mobile browser version. If you’re a daily player who wants the game to live on your home screen, the app makes that experience feel intentional.

App Pros:

• Native mobile interface is polished
• Easy home screen access
• Good for dedicated daily players who don’t mind paying

App Cons:

• Only 5 free moves before hitting the paywall
• AI logic feels more restrictive than the website
• Subscription billing has been confusing and controversial in reviews
• More frequent error messages reported (“something went wrong”)

Which Has Better AI?

This is the most important question for anyone who cares about the actual game — and the answer is nuanced but fairly clear: the website has better AI.

Both versions use LLM-based judgment. An LLM reads your submission and decides whether it logically beats the previous item. But the website’s model appears to operate with fewer content restrictions and a more liberal interpretation of “what counts.”

Real examples from testing

During testing sessions, I submitted the same sequence of answers on both platforms. Answers like “love beats a sword,” “the passage of time beats a mountain,” and “an angry beaver with a beaver gun” were accepted immediately on the website. On the app, two of those three were rejected. For a game built on creativity, that’s a meaningful difference.

It’s worth noting that neither AI is perfectly consistent — this is an inherent limitation of LLMs. Both platforms will occasionally make calls that seem arbitrary. But the website’s higher tolerance for creative answers makes long chains more achievable and the experience more rewarding.

If you want to understand what kinds of answers the AI tends to accept or reject, our What Beats Rock answers cheat sheet breaks down proven answer patterns across dozens of chains.

Platform	AI Rating	Notes
🌐 Website	9/10	Creative, flexible, consistent
📱 App	6.5/10	More restrictive in free mode

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Cost & Paywall Breakdown

Let’s be direct about the economics, because this is where many reviews get vague.

The website costs nothing. You can play indefinitely, no account, no credit card, no limit. This is unusual for a viral AI product and a genuine competitive advantage for the website.

The app is free to download but pay-to-play in practice. The 5-move limit means you hit a wall almost immediately. The app offers a weekly subscription (pricing varies by region) and a “lifetime” option. However, user reviews flag that the lifetime option may not exempt you from recurring charges a pattern that’s led to frustrated reviews on both the App Store and Google Play.

Who Should Use Which?

Use the Website if…
You want unlimited free play, the best AI quality, no downloads, or you’re playing on a desktop or laptop. This is the right choice for 90% of players.

Use the App if…
You’re a committed daily player, want a polished mobile interface on your home screen, and are willing to pay for premium. Don’t install the app expecting a full free experience.

FAQ

Is the What Beats Rock website completely free?
Yes. whatbeatsrock.com is entirely free to play with no move limits, no account required, and no paywalls. You can build chains of unlimited length without any restrictions.

How many free moves does the What Beats Rock app give you?
Based on player reports and app store reviews as of 2025, the free version limits you to approximately 5 moves before prompting an upgrade. This limit makes the free app experience significantly less enjoyable than the website.

Is the AI better on the app or the website?
The website’s AI is generally considered smarter and more flexible. It accepts creative and abstract answers more readily. The app’s AI has been described by users as “more restrictive” in its logic, though both platforms use LLM-based judgment and can occasionally be inconsistent.

Does What Beats Rock work on mobile browsers?
Yes, the website works on mobile browsers. The experience is functional but slightly less polished than a native app. For occasional mobile play, it works fine. For daily mobile use, you’d notice the difference in UX.

What does it mean that hiscores reset weekly on the website?
The What Beats Rock website maintains a leaderboard of the longest and most creative chains. These scores reset every week, giving everyone a fresh shot at the top ranking and keeping competition active.

Is there a What Beats Rock game for PC?
The website is the PC version. Simply go to whatbeatsrock.com in any browser on your computer. No download needed. You can also read our full breakdown of what beats rock in the original rock paper scissors for the classic game rules before diving into the AI version.

Final Verdict

For the overwhelming majority of players, whatbeatsrock.com is the clear winner. It’s free, unlimited, and has better AI. The app has a polished interface but the 5-move paywall fundamentally breaks what makes this game fun. Unless you’re already sold on paying for premium and want a native mobile experience, open a browser tab and start playing for free.

The game’s magic is in the long chain the moment you find an answer that beats something absurd, and then top it with something even more absurd. The app cuts that chain off at move five. The website lets it go forever.