Comparison

Times Puzzles vs gridlo

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

Head to head
About

Times Puzzles

Engage your mind with a daily collection of renowned crosswords and logic puzzles. Access a vast archive and enjoy a variety of challenges on the go, anytime and anywhere. Perfect for puzzle enthusiasts seeking a mental workout.

Highlights
  • Daily crosswords and logic puzzles
  • Two-week puzzle archive
  • Play anywhere, anytime
  • Concise, Cryptic, Quick Cryptic crosswords
  • Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Futoshiki, Kakuro
  • Brain Trainer and Cell Blocks puzzles
Read full description

Updated app store description: Are you a crossword obsessive? Or are you just looking for a daily brain boost? Solve the world-renowned Times Crossword, Sudoku and other puzzles with the new puzzle app from The Times and The Sunday Times. Access hundreds of crosswords and puzzles in our two-week archive, and tackle all the latest puzzles to give your mind a real workout. The app enables you to take on and play our puzzles in one place and on the go, allowing you to play anywhere and at any time. Available puzzles: All Times and Sunday Times crosswords, including: Concise Cryptic Quick Cryptic Jumbo General Knowledge Other puzzles include: Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Futoshiki, Kakuro, KenKen, Lexica, Polygon, Quintagram, Set Square, Suko, Codeword, Brain Trainer and Cell Blocks How do I access The Times Puzzles? The app is free to download and can be read in one of the following ways: - Monthly in-app subscription to The Times Puzzles - Existing members with a Digital subscription can log-in using their The Times & The Sunday Times username and password Please note: - Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase - Your subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - You can manage your subscription and switch off the auto-renewal by accessing your Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable - Free trial offer is for new customers only. - At the end of the free trial offer, you will be charged to your iTunes account automatically unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before that time. - You can cancel anytime. Cancellation goes into effect at the start of your following billing cycle. - A subscription to Times Puzzles does not include access to any other Times Newspapers Limited products, including but not limited to www.thetimes.co.uk, mobile news content and other apps on non-iOS devices. Full T&Cs can be found at http://www.thetimes.co.uk/static/puzzles-app-terms-and-conditions/ We value your opinion and feedback. Our readers’ views are central to ongoing development and improvements. You can send feedback to us directly by visiting: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/help

About

gridlo

Engage in daily mini-crosswords, compete with friends in races and tournaments, and explore community-created puzzles. Improve language skills through fun, themed challenges.

Highlights
  • Daily mini-crosswords
  • Friend challenges and tournaments
  • Community-created puzzles
  • Language practice puzzles
  • Create your own puzzles
  • Global leaderboards
Features
Read full description

gridlo is a social mini-crosswords game & platform. Play the Daily Solve a mini-crossword each day, build your streak, see how your time compares with friends. Will you be fastest in the world? Race your friends Challenge your friends to one-on-one matches or tournaments. App-wide Sunday Sessions tournaments bring the community together. Explore Social puzzles Play themed mini-crosswords from the community - think idiosyncrasies of London life, brain teasers and etymology. Get creative & make your own - our tools make it fun & easy. Language practice The funnest way to improve your language skills, with dedicated practice puzzles daily. Terms of Use: https://thegridlo.com/terms-of-use.html Privacy Policy: https://thegridlo.com/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

Times Puzzles4 screens
gridlo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: gridlo at 100% against Times Puzzles's 12%. gridlo also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.8) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Times Puzzles's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1). 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. Times Puzzles sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and gridlo sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

gridlo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Times Puzzles has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Times Puzzles's written reviews are positive against 100% of gridlo's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Times Puzzles ships an update every 3 months, gridlo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Times Puzzles versus gridlo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTimes Puzzlesgridlo
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.8 (5 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB47 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTimes Media Limited (Apps)BreadRolls Group

Customer experience

Times Puzzles

All ratings5 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews156 reviews
Positive12.2%
Neutral17.3%
Negative70.5%

gridlo

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Times Puzzles

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Puzzles not saving progress
  • Puzzles not marking as completed
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Notifications and settings issues
  • Keyboard problems and poor usability
Show 1 more
  • Puzzles not loading or disappearing

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Codeword puzzle
  • Improve Sudoku interface
  • Add ability to print puzzles
  • Sync progress across devices
  • Provide more puzzle types

gridlo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Times Puzzles

Subscriptions3
  • 7 day trial then monthly fee7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • 7 day trial then monthly fee7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • 7 day trial then monthly fee7 Days trial$6.991 Month
5 purchases

gridlo

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited$1.991 Month
  • Unlimited annual$9.991 Year
One-time3
  • 1 credit$0.49
  • 10 credits$0.99
  • 50 credits$1.99

Questions

Is Times Puzzles free?
Times Puzzles is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is gridlo free?
gridlo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Times Puzzles or gridlo?
gridlo is rated higher. Times Puzzles averages 2.8 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while gridlo averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Times Puzzles or gridlo have ads?
Neither Times Puzzles nor gridlo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Times Puzzles or gridlo?
Times Puzzles ships an update every 3 months, and gridlo fortnightly. Most recently, Times Puzzles was updated on November 3, 2026 and gridlo on October 31, 2026.

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