# Crossword Light vs Crossword

The clearest difference is rating: Crossword at 4.5 against Crossword Light's 3.0. Crossword also leads on ratings volume (43K vs 54) and review sentiment (69% vs 53%). 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 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword has 43K 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 69% of Crossword's.

Crossword Light ships an update every 3 months, Crossword every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Light | Crossword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-light/id285702231/reviews) | **[4.5 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-by-puzzlingcom/id859866568/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 54 | **43K** |
| Positive reviews | 52.7% of reviews | **69.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#166** |
| Size | 29 MB | 484 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) | [AppyNation Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/488094583) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-by-puzzlingcom/id859866568)

**Currently charting:** #166 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

Engage your mind with a vast collection of crossword puzzles and word games. Solve thousands of clues, complete daily challenges, and collect trophies across multiple game modes. Enjoy a new puzzle experience every day with this extensive library of brain-teasing fun.

**Highlights:** Thousands of unique clues, Hundreds of original puzzles, Daily themed puzzles, World's Biggest and Tallest crosswords, Multiple game modes (Cryptogram, Codewords, Word Grid), Trophies, quests, and achievements, Timed events

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Doubler | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coins Booster Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Booster Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Super Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Super Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coins Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coins Ultra Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Entertaining and user-friendly
- 🧠 Educational and practical
- 🤔 Challenging but not too difficult
- 🕰️ Good for passing time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Tokens/coins required to play more puzzles
- 📺 Excessive ads that interrupt gameplay
- 🇬🇧 Some clues use British slang/terms
- 🔁 Repetitive use of same words in puzzles

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes after updates
- Inconsistent behavior with token/coin rewards
- Clues/answers not matching properly

**Requested features**

- Allow exchanging coins for tokens
- Provide more tokens/coins for completing puzzles
- Add option to view past completed puzzles
- Improve navigation and reduce interruptions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Light free?

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

### Is Crossword free?

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

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

Crossword is rated higher. Crossword Light averages 3.0 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while Crossword averages 4.5 from 43K ratings.

### Do Crossword Light or Crossword have ads?

Both Crossword Light and Crossword show ads.

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

Crossword Light ships an update every 3 months, and Crossword every 6 weeks. Most recently, Crossword Light was updated on October 31, 2026 and Crossword 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.*