# Dear Reader vs Crossword Explorer+

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dear Reader at 68% against Crossword Explorer+'s 22%. Crossword Explorer+'s advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (2.3K vs 572). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Crossword Explorer+ holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 572 and 2.3K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Dear Reader's written reviews are positive against 22% of Crossword Explorer+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dear Reader | Crossword Explorer+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (572 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172/reviews) | **[4.9 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer-plus/id1551764376/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 572 | **2.3K** |
| Positive reviews | **68.4% of reviews** | 22.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 387 MB | 266 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Local No. 12](https://appshunter.io/developer/1169662930) | [PlaySimple Games Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1189416142) |

## What reviewers say

### Dear Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dear-reader/id1470280172)

Engage with classic literature through unique word puzzles. Unscramble passages, unlock new books, and complete challenges to discover special abilities. This game transforms beloved stories into interactive wordplay experiences.

**Highlights:** Play with over 130 classic books, Unlock dozens of wordplay puzzle types, Acquire new books from a rotating selection, Earn Rare Books by completing goals, Embark on Research missions for abilities, Solve daily word challenges

**Features:** With Apple Arcade, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Engaging word puzzles
- 📚 Variety of classic books
- 👍 Relaxing gameplay
- 💡 Unique concept of 'playing books'
- 🤓 Helps improve reading and language skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤔 Heavily abridged book excerpts
- 🙄 Repetitive daily challenges
- 💰 Expensive rare books

**Reported bugs**

- Game progress being deleted
- Inability to exit the library
- Crashes when trying to purchase rare books

**Requested features**

- Add more modern and popular book titles
- Option to read full unabridged books
- Dark mode
- Ability to report typos and errors
- More varied and engaging goals/achievements


### Crossword Explorer+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer-plus/id1551764376)

Engage your mind with daily crossword puzzles and trivia. Access thousands of puzzles with new themes each day to expand your vocabulary and general knowledge. Play anytime, anywhere on your iOS device.

**Highlights:** Daily new puzzles, Thousands of puzzles available, Variety of daily themes, Hints for difficult words, Vocabulary and general knowledge improvement

**Features:** With Apple Arcade

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Relaxing and fun gameplay
- 🚀 Smooth and intuitive controls
- 💡 Bite-sized crossword puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Puzzles too easy and repetitive
- 📍 Heavily US-centric content
- 🔍 Lack of difficulty options or progression
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes reported

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen on startup
- Incorrect answers and spelling errors
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Add difficulty settings or skip easy levels
- Improve crossword variety and reduce repetition
- Optimize for landscape mode on iPad
- Implement cloud save/sync across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dear Reader free?

Dear Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Crossword Explorer+ free?

Crossword Explorer+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Dear Reader or Crossword Explorer+?

Crossword Explorer+ is rated higher. Dear Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 572 ratings, while Crossword Explorer+ averages 4.9 from 2.3K ratings.

### Do Dear Reader or Crossword Explorer+ have ads?

Neither Dear Reader nor Crossword Explorer+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dear Reader or Crossword Explorer+?

Dear Reader ships an update every 3 months, and Crossword Explorer+ every 3 months. Most recently, Dear Reader was updated on September 25, 2026 and Crossword Explorer+ on September 23, 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.*