# Crossword Puzzles + vs Clean Crosswords

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Clean Crosswords at 66% against Crossword Puzzles +'s 21%. Clean Crosswords also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 2). Crossword Puzzles +'s advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword Puzzles + sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Clean Crosswords sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Clean Crosswords holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clean Crosswords has 1.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Crossword Puzzles +'s written reviews are positive against 66% of Clean Crosswords's.

Crossword Puzzles + ships an update every 4 weeks, Clean Crosswords every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword Puzzles + | Clean Crosswords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzles-plus/id529831012/reviews) | **[4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **1.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 21.2% of reviews | **65.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 229 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleksii Harbuzenko](https://appshunter.io/developer/520199173) | [the binary family](https://appshunter.io/developer/307768703) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Clean Crosswords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196)

Enjoy a classic crossword experience designed for iOS devices. This app offers 1,800 puzzles with clues directly in the grid for easy viewing and play. It provides weeks of challenging fun in a clean, British English format.

**Highlights:** 1,800 crossword puzzles, Clues in puzzle grid, Classic British English, Designed for iPhone and iPad, Challenging fun

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 🧠 Helps improve vocabulary and memory
- 🗓️ Lots of puzzles available
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive interface
- 💰 Free app with optional ad-free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🇬🇧 Too many British-centric references and spellings
- 🔁 Repetitive clues and answers
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🕹️ Navigation and layout issues on larger screens

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect word definitions or answers
- Arrows pointing to wrong cells
- Puzzle progress not saving properly
- Ads causing app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Progress tracking and statistics
- Ability to replay completed puzzles
- More variety in puzzle difficulty levels
- Better integration of American English


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword Puzzles + free?

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

### Is Clean Crosswords free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crossword Puzzles + or Clean Crosswords?

Clean Crosswords is rated higher. Crossword Puzzles + averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Clean Crosswords averages 4.5 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Crossword Puzzles + or Clean Crosswords have ads?

Both Crossword Puzzles + and Clean Crosswords show ads.

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

Crossword Puzzles + ships an update every 4 weeks, and Clean Crosswords every 4 months. Most recently, Crossword Puzzles + was updated on November 1, 2026 and Clean Crosswords on November 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*