Comparison

Crostix vs 4 Clues

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Crostix

Engage with word puzzles where letters from answers form a hidden quote. This free version offers sample puzzles and hints, with options to unlock more content through in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Automatic letter placement
  • Hint system for letters or words
  • Score tracking based on hints
  • Adjustable font size
  • Device rotation support
Features
Read full description

Welcome to the world of acrostics! An acrostic, also called a crostic or double crostic, is a cousin of crossword puzzles, with clues and answers whose letters are rearranged to form a quote from a famous (or not-so-famous) author. If you're familiar with acrostics, you will quickly see how convenient they are on the iPhone, because letters are automatically copied to the correct place as you type them in. Crostix is a free version of our Crostix Pro application, containing sample puzzles from our library. Try them out, and if you like them, get the full version, with 150 puzzles, from easy to fiendishly hard, or just buy more in Crostix using in-app purchase. The program has all the features you'd expect: - get hints for a single letter or an entire word, - see your score, based on how many hints you needed, - change the font size by pinching, - rotate the device as you like, and - get help on all program options. If you're new to the world of acrostics, the application also includes a short description to get you started.

About

4 Clues

Test your vocabulary with this word puzzle game. Four clues lead to a single word, offering bite-sized fun. Earn coins to reveal more clues or get help from friends. Thousands of puzzles are updated frequently.

Highlights
  • Four clues, one word puzzles
  • Thousands of puzzles by topic
  • Earn coins for hints
  • Share puzzles with friends
  • Cross-device syncing
  • Frequent updates
Features
Read full description

Word addicts, it's time to test your vocab chops. This game has the challenge of a crossword, in bite-sized fun. 4 clues 1 word. Each puzzle contains four written clues that have one thing in common - what is that word? Stuck on a puzzle? Not to worry - earn coins and use them to reveal even more clues, or send the puzzle to a friend on Facebook, Twitter or through email to get help! PURE, FAST ENTERTAINMENT It's instant fun, and ridiculously easy to play. No registration required. No rules to learn. TRY TO GUESS THEM ALL Can you figure out all of the words? Thousands of puzzles, organized by topic, updated frequently. SYNC ACROSS YOUR DEVICES Wish you could play on your iPhone, then pick up where you left off on your iPad? Not a problem. Your coins and history will persist no matter which device you feel like playing on. EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE AND SIMPLE GAMEPLAY What is the word you are seeking? Read the four written clues, and deduce what they have in common. Win coins. The only hard part is putting it down! THE RATINGS DON'T LIE 5 stars with over 1700 ratings and counting, clearly people are loving this game. Start playing now to find out why!

Screenshots

Crostix4 screens
4 Clues4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Crostix at none against 4 Clues's shown. 4 Clues's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Crostix sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and 4 Clues sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

4 Clues holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Crostix's written reviews are positive against 93% of 4 Clues's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Crostix ships an update every 4 months, 4 Clues every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Crostix versus 4 Clues: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrostix4 Clues
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (9 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews92.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size78 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrian MountfordTangerine Torpedo, LLC

Customer experience

Crostix

Written reviews32 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.8%

4 Clues

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive92.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Crostix

One-time10
  • Crostix Book Two$1.99
  • Crostix Book Three$1.99
  • Crostix Book Four$1.99
Show 7 more
  • Crostix Book Five$1.99
  • Guest Author: Gordon Frakes$1.99
  • Crostix Book Six$1.99
  • Crostix Book Eight$1.99
  • Crostix Book Nine$1.99
  • Crostix Free Book Seven$1.99
  • Crostix Big Book$2.99
10 purchases

4 Clues

One-time10
  • 250 Coin Package$0.99
  • Remove Ads$1.99
  • 550 Coin Package$3.99
Show 7 more
  • 625 Coins$4.99
  • Unlock All Levels Key$4.99
  • 1400 Coin Package$6.99
  • 1,350 Coins$9.99
  • 3150 Coin Package$11.99
  • 3,000 Coins$19.99
  • 7250 Coin Package$21.99

Questions

Is Crostix free?
Crostix is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is 4 Clues free?
4 Clues is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Crostix or 4 Clues?
4 Clues is rated higher. Crostix averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while 4 Clues averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Crostix or 4 Clues have ads?
4 Clues shows ads; Crostix does not.
Which is updated more often, Crostix or 4 Clues?
Crostix ships an update every 4 months, and 4 Clues every 10 days. Most recently, Crostix was updated on November 6, 2026 and 4 Clues on November 1, 2026.

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