# Crossword Explorer+ vs Flow Free+

Crossword Explorer+ and Flow Free+ both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Flow Free+'s written reviews are positive against 22% of Crossword Explorer+'s. Flow Free+ also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (16K vs 2.3K). On price, rating, 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Crossword Explorer+ against 4.8 for Flow Free+. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Flow Free+ has 16K ratings behind it against 2.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of Crossword Explorer+'s written reviews are positive against 92% of Flow Free+'s.

Crossword Explorer+ ships an update every 3 months, Flow Free+ monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Explorer+ | Flow Free+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (2.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-explorer-plus/id1551764376/reviews)** | [4.8 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flow-free-plus/id6746876060/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2.3K | **16K** |
| Positive reviews | 22.4% of reviews | **91.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 266 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PlaySimple Games Pte Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1189416142) | [Big Duck Games LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/435664937) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Flow Free+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flow-free-plus/id6746876060)

Connect matching colored pipes to fill the board without crossing or overlapping. Enjoy hundreds of levels with varying difficulty, or challenge yourself in time trials. Offers daily puzzles and achievements for a continuously engaging experience.

**Highlights:** Connect matching colors, Fill the entire board, Hundreds of levels, Time Trial mode, Daily puzzles, Over 9,000 puzzles

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Explorer+ free?

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

### Is Flow Free+ free?

Flow Free+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Crossword Explorer+ or Flow Free+?

Crossword Explorer+ is rated higher. Crossword Explorer+ averages 4.9 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while Flow Free+ averages 4.8 from 16K ratings.

### Do Crossword Explorer+ or Flow Free+ have ads?

Neither Crossword Explorer+ nor Flow Free+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Crossword Explorer+ or Flow Free+?

Crossword Explorer+ ships an update every 3 months, and Flow Free+ monthly. Most recently, Crossword Explorer+ was updated on October 18, 2026 and Flow Free+ on October 19, 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.*