# Crossword Explorer vs MindTriggers

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MindTriggers at none against Crossword Explorer's 11. MindTriggers also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). Crossword Explorer's advantage is ratings volume (69K vs 2) and chart position (#64 vs unranked). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword Explorer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. MindTriggers asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Crossword Explorer against 5.0 for MindTriggers. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Explorer has 69K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Crossword Explorer ships an update every 5 weeks, MindTriggers every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Explorer | MindTriggers |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (69K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer/id1512407890/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindtriggers/id1638403583/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **69K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 35.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 374 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlaySimple Games Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1189416142) | [Zahra Moussavi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1508008768) |

## What reviewers say

### Crossword Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer/id1512407890)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Free · Word, #76 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

Engage your mind with a vast collection of daily crossword puzzles. Offers endless challenges, daily rewards, and progress tracking. Customize your experience with themes and utilize hints to improve your wordplay skills.

**Highlights:** Endless crossword puzzles, Daily challenges and rewards, Progress tracking and achievements, Customizable themes and backgrounds, Hints and tips for assistance, Educational vocabulary building

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Piggy! | $1.49 | one-time |
| Pack of 300 coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Mini Coin Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 550 coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Bronze Piggy! | $5.99 | one-time |
| Regular Coin Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 1150 coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| Silver Piggy! | $9.99 | one-time |
| Bestselling Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 2400 coins | $19.99 | one-time |
| Jumbo Coin Pack | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and challenging
- 👍 Keeps the mind sharp
- 🎉 Great game
- ✨ Enjoyable puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Repetitive clues and answers
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 💰 Too many ads, expensive to remove
- 🐛 Frequent freezing and crashes
- 🤯 Annoying audio ads during gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Coins not properly awarded after completing puzzles
- Ads still shown even after purchasing ad-free version
- Cursor moves on its own during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Allow viewing of completed puzzles
- Add more puzzle categories and themes
- Improve accessibility for visually impaired
- Reduce cost of ad-free subscription


### MindTriggers

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mindtriggers/id1638403583)

This app offers engaging games designed to improve memory and cognitive skills, beneficial for natural aging or dementia. It supports individual daily play and online tutoring sessions. Users can opt-in to data studies and monitor their performance.

**Highlights:** Memory and cognitive skill games, Individual daily play recommendations, Online tutoring service integration, Performance monitoring, Optional data participation in studies, Engaging and fun gameplay

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Explorer free?

Crossword Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is MindTriggers free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crossword Explorer or MindTriggers?

MindTriggers is rated higher. Crossword Explorer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 69K ratings, while MindTriggers averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Crossword Explorer or MindTriggers have ads?

Crossword Explorer shows ads; MindTriggers does not.

### Which is updated more often, Crossword Explorer or MindTriggers?

Crossword Explorer ships an update every 5 weeks, and MindTriggers every 2 weeks. Most recently, Crossword Explorer was updated on October 25, 2026 and MindTriggers on October 13, 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.*