# Crossword Explorer vs AfQuest

The clearest difference is ads: AfQuest at none against Crossword Explorer's shown. AfQuest also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.1 vs 13.0). Crossword Explorer's advantage is chart position (#53 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword Explorer sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and AfQuest sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword Explorer ships an update every 5 weeks, AfQuest every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Explorer | AfQuest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (69K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer/id1512407890/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **69K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 35.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#53** | — |
| Size | 374 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [PlaySimple Games Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1189416142) | [TechNation Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1184002892) |

## What reviewers say

### Crossword Explorer

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

**Currently charting:** #53 Top Free · Word, #73 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


### AfQuest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/afquest/id6450902533)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Elite Pack | $12.99 | one-time |
| Premium Pack | $24.99 | one-time |
| Gold Pack | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Explorer free?

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

### Is AfQuest free?

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

### Do Crossword Explorer or AfQuest have ads?

Crossword Explorer shows ads; AfQuest does not.

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

Crossword Explorer ships an update every 5 weeks, and AfQuest every 2 weeks. Most recently, Crossword Explorer was updated on October 27, 2026 and AfQuest on October 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*