# Crossword vs Crosswords

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Crossword at 81% against Crosswords's 30%. Crossword also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (5.5K vs 579). Crosswords's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Crosswords sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword has 5.5K ratings behind it against 579, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Crossword's written reviews are positive against 30% of Crosswords's.

Crossword ships an update every 5 months, Crosswords every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword | Crosswords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword/id576525179/reviews)** | [4.3 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.5K** | 579 |
| Positive reviews | **80.7% of reviews** | 29.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 13 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) |

## What reviewers say

### Crossword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword/id576525179)

Enjoy over 750 professional crossword puzzles designed for casual play. This app offers a clean, ad-free experience with features like pinch zooming and landscape mode to enhance your word-solving sessions.

**Highlights:** 750+ professional puzzles, 45 free puzzles, Pinch zooming grid, Landscape mode with clue list, Cheats and answer checking, No ads

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 12) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 9) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 1) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 2) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 3) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 6) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 7) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack (Pack 14 of 50 puzzles) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 13) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Crosswords (Pack 11) | $0.99 | one-time |
| full set of Crossword packs | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable crossword experience
- 👍 Excellent value and great trivia
- 👍 No ads, great puzzles
- 👍 Fantastic brain workout
- 👍 Accessible for dyslexic users

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional spelling errors in puzzles
- 🐛 Keyboard issues on some devices
- 🐛 Puzzles can be too difficult for some users
- 🐛 Some clues are too obscure or British-centric

**Reported bugs**

- Purchased content not restoring properly on new devices
- Keyboard not working correctly in some cases

**Requested features**

- Option to adjust puzzle and clue size
- Ability to sync progress across devices
- More free puzzles or a free trial period


### Crosswords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601)

Engage with daily crossword puzzles from various newspapers, offering hints, clue lookups, and progress tracking. Upgrade for automatic puzzle delivery, access to extensive archives, and a wider selection of premium puzzle sources.

**Highlights:** Daily newspaper crossword puzzles, Hints and clue lookups, Progress tracking, US and UK cryptic puzzles, Automatic puzzle downloads, Access to extensive puzzle archives, Comparison with other solvers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lionel's crosswords, Vol. 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ink Well Xwords, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dell Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Edited by Ben Tausig, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ridonkulous Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Liz Gorski's Crossword Nation: Vol. 1, No. 1-20 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dell Medium Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley's Faves #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Jonesin' Crosswords | $2.99 | one-time |
| Edited By Tausig 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley Freestyle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords Pro (Upgrade) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crossword Nation's Centennial Edition | $7.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Diverse and challenging puzzles
- 👍 Clean and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Ability to check/reveal answers
- 👍 Responsive developers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🐛 Bugs with navigation and menu
- 🐛 Inconsistent puzzle download functionality
- 🔒 Lack of accessibility for visually impaired users
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle grid freezing or displaying blank
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
- Inability to access or download certain puzzle sources

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to delete puzzles
- Comprehensive error checking and feedback
- Customizable keyboard and gestures


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword free?

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

### Is Crosswords free?

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

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

Crossword is rated higher. Crossword averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5.5K ratings, while Crosswords averages 4.3 from 579 ratings.

### Do Crossword or Crosswords have ads?

Neither Crossword nor Crosswords shows ads.

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

Crossword ships an update every 5 months, and Crosswords every 4 days. Most recently, Crossword was updated on October 29, 2026 and Crosswords on October 29, 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.*