# Crossword Light vs Crossword Puzzles!

The clearest difference is rating: Crossword Puzzles! at 4.7 against Crossword Light's 3.0. Crossword Puzzles! also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 53%) and ratings volume (9K vs 54). Crossword Light's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). 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 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword Puzzles! holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Puzzles! has 9K ratings behind it against 54, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Crossword Light's written reviews are positive against 85% of Crossword Puzzles!'s.

Crossword Light ships an update every 3 months, Crossword Puzzles! monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 7, 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) | **[4.7 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzles/id804708947/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 54 | **9K** |
| Positive reviews | 52.7% of reviews | **84.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [DexCheck, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1389355811) |

## 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/id804708947)

Solve daily crosswords set in beautiful global locations. Collect stunning destinations, tackle special weekend puzzles, and earn stamps and badges. Offers thousands of puzzles for all skill levels with optional hints.

**Highlights:** Daily free puzzles, Collectible global destinations, Weekend getaway puzzles, Stamps, pins, and badges, Thousands of puzzles, Hints available

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wanderlust Pass (1 Month) | $5.99 | per month |
| Pack of 100 Tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tickets - Tier 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 100 Tickets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 100 Tickets | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tickets - Tier 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tickets - Tier 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 500 Tickets | $11.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 1250 Tickets | $23.99 | one-time |
| First Class Ticket: Unlimited | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎯 Daily fun
- 🧠 Fun and challenging puzzles
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🧠 Helpful clues
- 🧠 Great variety of puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription too expensive
- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔍 Distracting and intrusive ads
- 🔍 Repeated puzzles

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle download failures
- Incorrect letter input
- Puzzle progress not saving
- Ads getting stuck and preventing gameplay

**Requested features**

- Ability to remove ads
- More free puzzles or ways to earn tickets
- Improved navigation and cursor control
- Option to choose background/color scheme
- Ability to access past puzzles


## 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 4.7 from 9K 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! monthly. Most recently, Crossword Light was updated on October 31, 2026 and Crossword Puzzles! on November 7, 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.*