# Crossword Light vs Crossword Puzzles +

The clearest difference is rating: Crossword Puzzles + at 3.5 against Crossword Light's 3.0. Crossword Puzzles + also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). Crossword Light's advantage is review sentiment (53% vs 21%) and ratings volume (54 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword Light sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Crossword Puzzles + sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword Puzzles + holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Light has 54 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of Crossword Light's written reviews are positive against 21% of Crossword Puzzles +'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Crossword Light ships an update every 3 months, Crossword Puzzles + every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Light | Crossword Puzzles + |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-light/id285702231/reviews) | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzles-plus/id529831012/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **54** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **52.7% of reviews** | 21.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [Oleksii Harbuzenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/520199173) |

## What reviewers say

### Crossword Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-light/id285702231)

Solve daily crossword puzzles from various newspapers on your mobile device. Get hints, view clues, and track your progress. This light version includes 40 puzzles, with more available in the full version.

**Highlights:** Daily crossword puzzles, Hints available, View clues, Track improvement, Leaderboard, Social media integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aaxword's Easy Themeless Puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| Aaxword's Easy Micro Puzzles | $0.99 | one-time |
| MacNamara's Band, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Edited by Ben Tausig, vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ink Well Crosswords, Volume 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dell Magazines #1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ridonkulous Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jonesin' Crosswords | $2.99 | one-time |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley's Favorites, Vol. 1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords | $9.99 | one-time |


### Crossword Puzzles +

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzles-plus/id529831012)

Enjoy a vast collection of classic crossword puzzles on your iPhone and iPad. This app offers over 800 puzzles across various types, with a modern design and intuitive controls. Participate in a community rating system with thousands of players.

**Highlights:** 800+ free crossword puzzles, Multiple puzzle types (classic, keywords, anagrams, scandinavian), Modern design with multitouch gestures, In-game rating system with 8000+ participants, Hint modes, Sound and vibration support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No advertising | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hints | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun and challenging game
- 👍 Many crosswords to choose from
- 👍 Good mix of difficulty levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes frequently
- 🐛 Ads block clues and make app unusable
- 🐛 In-app purchases for ad removal don't work
- 🐛 Puzzles fail to download
- 🐛 Lost progress after updates

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to download puzzles
- App crashes immediately on opening
- Ads cover puzzle clues
- In-app purchase to remove ads fails
- Progress lost after updates

**Requested features**

- Fix ads covering clues
- Restore lost progress
- Increase font size for clues
- Add option to change font size
- Improve navigation and controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Light free?

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

### Is Crossword Puzzles + free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crossword Light or Crossword Puzzles +?

Crossword Puzzles + is rated higher. Crossword Light averages 3.0 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while Crossword Puzzles + averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Crossword Light or Crossword Puzzles + have ads?

Both Crossword Light and Crossword Puzzles + show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Crossword Light or Crossword Puzzles +?

Crossword Light ships an update every 3 months, and Crossword Puzzles + every 4 weeks. Most recently, Crossword Light was updated on October 31, 2026 and Crossword Puzzles + on November 1, 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.*