Learn Cryptic Crosswords vs Sylvi
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Learn Cryptic Crosswords
Master the art of cryptic crosswords with this interactive guide. It breaks down clue types, offers step-by-step learning through six chapters, and includes practice exercises and puzzles to build your solving skills.
- Step-by-step clue explanations
- Interactive exercises
- Practice puzzles
- Skill development guidance
- Reference tools
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Learn how to solve cryptic crosswords with this interactive app, starting with the basic ideas and easiest types of clue. Learn cryptic crosswords consists of six chapters that take you step by step through every aspect of solving cryptic clues. How each type of clue works is clearly explained and supported by examples, with simple diagrams to illustrate key ideas. Each topic is followed by interactive exercises and practice clues designed to reinforce the learning points, and each chapter ends with a practice puzzle to consolidate your learning. The final chapter explains how to develop your solving skills further. It ends with a selection of newspaper puzzles and is followed by an extensive set of reference tools to use when solving. Cryptic crosswords are fun to do and give the brain a good work out, exercising the memory and thinking skills, making new connections and extending vocabulary and general knowledge. Learn cryptic crosswords will lead you to an enjoyable and stimulating new pastime.
Sylvi
Practice foreign languages with AI penpals who provide tutor-level feedback on every message. Learn essential phrases, build vocabulary, and stay motivated with friends. Offers a free trial before subscription.
- AI penpals for language practice
- Real-time message correction and explanation
- Vocabulary building and memorization tools
- Practice with friends
- Streak preservation
- Flashcards and leaderboard
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AI penpals that feel like native friends. Tutor-level feedback on every single message. That's Sylvi. You can even pick a penpal with the exact accent you want to have. French (France and Canada) Spanish (Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Puerto Rico, etc) German Italian Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil) English (UK, US, Australia) More languages coming soon - follow our journey on @sylvi_app Too shy to talk to a native speaker? Practice with AI penpals who know you well enough to ask about your day. Every message you send is corrected and explained in real time - not just flagged, but actually taught, so when the real moment comes, you're ready for it. - Learn the phrases you need, for the life you lead Build your vocabulary by saving words important to you. Test yourself daily to memorise them. - Stay accountable with friends Practice with your friends regardless of what language they're learning or what level they're at. "I've used a lot of different language apps... but Sylvi has been the one I've been having the most success with growth-wise. At least from what my tutor tells me." Can't bear to lose your streak? We won't tell. If you've got a streak you can't bear to lose, message us at support@sylvi.ai and we'll transfer it straight to Sylvi. Try us free for 1 week, then pick a subscription that works for you. "I know grammar. I know all of these vocabularies, but you're kind of stuck in the middle of like - how do I become comprehensible? Then I found Sylvi" - Amira, UK "I could say, 'I'm going to the cinema today'. Then if I do Sylvi tomorrow, my penpal will come back and say, 'so what film did you see at the cinema?'. I love the continuity. It's so clever." - James, US
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Sylvi at every 3 days against Learn Cryptic Crosswords's every 9 months. Learn Cryptic Crosswords's advantage is review sentiment (95% vs 83%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Learn Cryptic Crosswords sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Sylvi sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Learn Cryptic Crosswords against 4.7 for Sylvi. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 457 and 338 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Learn Cryptic Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 83% of Sylvi's.
Learn Cryptic Crosswords ships an update every 9 months, Sylvi every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Learn Cryptic Crosswords | Sylvi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (457 ratings) — better | 4.7 (338 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.0% of reviews — better | 83.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 457 — better | 338 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 143 MB |
| Age rating | +4 | 12+ |
| Developer | Teazel | Sylvi Ltd |
Customer experience
Learn Cryptic Crosswords
Sylvi
User reviews
Learn Cryptic Crosswords
From 457 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent step-by-step guide
- 🚀 Comprehensive and informative
- 💡 Interactive and engaging learning
- 👍 Helpful and clear explanations
- 👍 Structured and logical progression
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional technical issues
- 🔒 Lack of cross-device progress sync
- 💰 Paywall after initial free content
Sylvi
From 338 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent language learning tool
- 👍 Engaging and interactive
- 🤖 Helpful AI assistant
- 💬 Great for practicing conversations
- 📈 Noticeable improvement in language skills
Room to improve
- 💰 Subscription required for full access
- 🔒 Limited free features
- 🌐 Lack of language options
- 🐛 Technical issues with speech recognition
- 🕰️ Repetitive lessons
Bugs and requests
Learn Cryptic Crosswords
Reported bugs
2 issues- Menu button freezing the app
- Inability to fill in answers directly
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to take notes within the app
- Integrated anagram solver and reference tools
- Option to skip ahead to practice puzzles
Sylvi
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent app crashes
- Subscription issues
- Inconsistent user experience
Requested features
5 requests- Expand language options
- Improve free version features
- Implement more personalized learning
- Add more advanced conversation scenarios
- Improve speech recognition accuracy
In-app purchases
Learn Cryptic Crosswords
- Discount price$2.99
- Access to every chapter2 variants$3.99
- Access to every chapter$4.99
Sylvi
- Sylvi Lite (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Sylvi Lite (Monthly)$2.991 Month
- Sylvi Pro (Monthly)$6.991 Month
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- Sylvi Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$6.991 Month
- Sylvi Lite (Monthly)$6.991 Month
- Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
- Monthly7 Days trial$13.991 Month
- Sylvi Pro (Monthly)$14.991 Month
- Monthly7 Days trial$19.991 Month
- 3 months14 Days trial$19.993 Months
- Sylvi Lite (Annual)14 Days trial$23.991 Year
- Sylvi Lite (Annual)$23.991 Year
- Monthly7 Days trial$24.991 Month
- Sylvi Lite (Annual)$35.991 Year
- 3 months14 Days trial$39.993 Months
- 3 months7 Days trial$39.993 Months
- Annual14 Days trial$49.901 Year
- Annual7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Sylvi Pro (Annual)14 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Sylvi Pro (Annual)$59.991 Year
- Sylvi Pro (Annual)$79.991 Year
- Annual14 Days trial$83.901 Year
- Annual7 Days trial$89.991 Year
- Annual7 Days trial$129.991 Year
Questions
Is Learn Cryptic Crosswords free?
Is Sylvi free?
Which has better reviews, Learn Cryptic Crosswords or Sylvi?
Do Learn Cryptic Crosswords or Sylvi have ads?
Which is updated more often, Learn Cryptic Crosswords or Sylvi?
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