Comparison

Crossword vs Backword

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Crossword

Engage your mind with a fresh take on word puzzles. This game offers a vast collection of English arrowword puzzles designed to expand vocabulary and provide hours of entertainment. Enjoy flexible difficulty levels and offline play.

Highlights
  • 1000+ English puzzles
  • Beginner to expert difficulty
  • Offline gameplay
  • Progress saving
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Are you searching for the ultimate word puzzle game but can't find one that satisfies your craving? "Arrow Crossword" brings a fresh approach to word hunt and brain games! Dive into the most captivating and entertaining English crossword game here! With our "Arrow Crossword" game, expand your vocabulary, refresh your mind, and enjoy hours of fun. - Key Features - * Unique Word Treasure: Dive into 1000 meticulously crafted English puzzles and brainstorm. * Flexible Difficulty Levels: Puzzles suitable for beginners to experts, ideal for all brain game enthusiasts. * Offline Gameplay: Solve puzzles even without an internet connection. * Save Feature: Track your progress and pick up where you left off. * User-friendly: Stunning graphics and a user-friendly interface for the best puzzle experience. Why wait to challenge the boundaries of fun and learning? The top choice for word and brain game lovers. Download now and savor the thrill of brain exercise! * Privacy Policy: http://crossyword.planckgames.com/privacy-policy * Terms and Conditions: http://crossyword.planckgames.com/terms-conditions

About

Backword

Read full description

Backword brings four free word games and a Word of the Day together into one daily ritual to get your brain moving; plus a tougher weekly crossword. Play Backword, a clever six-letter word game where the answer reveals from the end. Solve a fresh daily crossword. Unscramble the Anagram. Find the missing link in Midword. Then take on a deeper weekly crossword when you want a bigger challenge. Every day counts. Build the highest score you can across all four games over a rolling 14-day period, climb the rating tiers, and see how long you can sustain the top level. Track your progress, protect your streaks, use hints when you need them, and return to the archive whenever you want another puzzle. Whether you have two minutes or twenty, Backword gives you a satisfying word challenge to come back to every day. Features: - Free daily Backword puzzle - Free daily Crossword - Free daily Anagram - Free daily Midword - Weekly Crossword - Word of the Day - Rolling 14-day score - Rating tiers to climb and maintain - Streaks, stats, and completion tracking - Puzzle archive - Hints when you get stuck - Optional Pro upgrade for an ad-free experience, unlimited archive access, and unlimited hints Currently only supports English language Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Crossword4 screens
Backword4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Backword at every 8 days against Crossword's every 2 months. Crossword's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Crossword sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.49 per month and Backword sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Crossword ships an update every 2 months, Backword every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Crossword versus Backword: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrosswordBackword
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (37 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews28.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings37 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size264 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuhammet Gazi SalikSean Williams

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Crossword

Subscriptions1
  • No Ads$9.491 Month
One-time7
  • 1000 GOLD$1.99
  • 5000 GOLD$4.99
  • 10000 GOLD$7.99
Show 4 more
  • 15000 GOLD$10.99
  • 20000 GOLD$13.99
  • 25000 GOLD$16.99
  • 50000 GOLD$19.99
2 purchases

Backword

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro Pass7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Annual Pro Pass7 Days trial$11.991 Year

Questions

Is Crossword free?
Crossword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backword free?
Backword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Crossword or Backword have ads?
Both Crossword and Backword show ads.
Which is updated more often, Crossword or Backword?
Crossword ships an update every 2 months, and Backword every 8 days. Most recently, Crossword was updated on October 25, 2026 and Backword on October 23, 2026.

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