# Crossword Light vs Crossly

The clearest difference is rating: Crossly at 5.0 against Crossword Light's 3.0. Crossly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10 vs 12.0). Crossword Light's advantage is ratings volume (54 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword Light sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Crossly sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Light has 54 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of Crossword Light's written reviews are positive against 51% of Crossly'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, Crossly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Light | Crossly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-light/id285702231/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossly/id871860021/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **54** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **52.7% of reviews** | 50.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **10** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [Mercury Intermedia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300669006) |

## 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 |


### Crossly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossly/id871860021)

Engage in a strategic word game with friends, blending classic crosswords with competitive play. Earn points for correct answers, hinder opponents, and enjoy endless unique puzzles with interactive features like stealing turns and revealing letters.

**Highlights:** Endless unique crossword puzzles, Steal turns and send taunts, Peek at letters for difficult clues, Pencil in and change answers, Offline saving of penciled words, Premium mode with bonus peeks and themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Meh" Premium Upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 5 Peeks | $0.99 | one-time |
| "It's Cool" Premium Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 15 Peeks | $1.99 | one-time |
| "LOVE" Premium Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 25 Peeks | $2.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 100 Peeks | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Innovative blend of crossword and competition
- 👍 Fun and engaging for friends
- 🎨 Beautiful and fluid interface
- 🧠 Great mind jogger

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Slow loading times
- 🧩 Obscure or nonsensical clues/answers
- 🇺🇸 Strong US bias in clues
- 📉 App abandonment concerns
- ❓ Puzzles lack cohesion

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- App won't load / spins forever
- Games disappear or are lost
- Notifications are broken / badge issues
- Rematch issues (wrong person)

**Requested features**

- iPad support
- UK version of the game
- Difficulty levels
- Chat feature
- Facebook integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Light free?

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

### Is Crossly free?

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

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

Crossly is rated higher. Crossword Light averages 3.0 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while Crossly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Crossword Light or Crossly have ads?

Crossword Light shows ads; Crossly does not.

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

Crossword Light ships an update every 3 months, and Crossly every 5 months. Most recently, Crossword Light was updated on October 12, 2026 and Crossly on October 9, 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.*