Comparison

Astraware Crosswords vs Crossword+

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

Head to head
About

Astraware Crosswords

Enjoy daily crossword puzzles on the go with this app. It offers free daily and weekly puzzles, with options to purchase additional packs for offline play. A subscription unlocks all puzzles and removes ads.

Highlights
  • Daily quick-style crosswords
  • Free weekly larger puzzles
  • Offline puzzle packs
  • Adjustable difficulty and grid sizes
  • Global leaderboards
  • Optional subscription for unlimited access
Features
Read full description

Crossword lovers rejoice! Astraware Crosswords is the perfect app for taking your favorite pastime wherever you go! Astraware Crosswords is great for everyone, with free unlimited access to download and play two new Daily puzzles each day - top the global leaderboards by completing the puzzles in the fastest time! For more of a challenge there is a free Weekender puzzle available each Friday with a bigger grid and a few more challenging or cryptic clues, perfect for solving leisurely on Saturday or Sunday morning, or even on Friday afternoon! If you wish to play offline, Astraware Crosswords includes 60+ quick crossword puzzles in 4 different grid sizes and 3 graded difficulty levels, plus there is also an option to buy extra puzzle packs for you to keep on your device and play anytime! New puzzle streams allow you to play for free if you prefer with a choice of puzzle sizes and difficulties, so you can focus on the type of puzzle you enjoy the most. With Astraware Crosswords you can play conveniently no matter where you are! ------------- Puzzles Plus Subscription Terms and Details Puzzles Plus is our optional subscription for Astraware Crosswords which entitles you to play all of the available Daily, Weekender and Stream puzzles as soon as they are available, without in-game adverts or any requirement to earn tokens. Subscribers can also choose to highlight their high scores with a choice of badges. Subscriptions are available with renewal periods of either monthly, quarterly (every 3 months), or yearly. The price shown is the cost of the renewal, with the saving value for longer subscription periods as a comparison to the monthly option. After you confirm a subscription, you will have a free trial period of seven days. Your iTunes Account will be charged as soon as the free trial is over. If you cancel the subscription at any time before the free trial is over, you will not be billed. The subscriptions are automatically renewing, and you will be charged again at the end of your current subscription period. Your subscription will automatically renew unless you turn this off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The renewal cost will be the same for each subscription period, and will be charged within the 24 hours before the end of your current subscription. You can manage the subscriptions at any time by going to the Account Settings in the Settings App after purchase. There are options to either change to a different renewal period (which will be at a different price) or to cancel your subscription completely. If you cancel the renewal you will still have access to the Puzzles Plus features until the full subscription period is complete. If you confirm the purchase of a subscription before the free trial is complete, any unused portion of the free trial will be lost. These terms are available at : https://www.astraware.com/about/puzzlesplus/ For more information on Data and Privacy, please view the Astraware Privacy page at http://www.astraware.com/privacy

About

Crossword+

Start your day with two new themed crossword puzzles daily, ranging from classic literature to movie magic. Enjoy a satisfying yet gentle challenge, with helpful hints and auto-check features. Solve puzzles offline and adjust text size for a comfortable, ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Two new themed puzzles daily
  • Over 3,000 puzzles in archive
  • Helpful hints and AutoCheck
  • Offline play supported
  • Ad-free experience
  • Adjustable text size
Features
Read full description

Start your day with a crossword and a smile! Whether you’re a novice solver or a seasoned veteran, we’ve designed Crossword+ so that players of all abilities can enjoy solving our crosswords! We release new crosswords every day and every single crossword in the app has a unique theme. For example, Monday’s crossword is music related, and Friday’s crossword is movie related. Even if you don’t know anything about the topic, you’ll still be attempt the crossword as the theme words are sprinkled into the crossword among other clues. So look forward to testing and expanding your knowledge of movies, music, food, books and much, much more! Why Crossword+? * Two new themed puzzles every single day (one maxi and one mini) * Over 3,000 puzzles in our ever-growing collection * Helpful hints when you need a little extra help * Catches mistakes as you type with our AutoCheck function * 100% ad-free. Just you and the puzzle * Works offline * Adjustable text size for readability Join over 500,000 solvers who've made Crossword Plus part of their routine. Is Crossword+ good for beginners? Yes! Crossword+ is designed for solvers of all abilities. Start with our daily mini crosswords, make use of instant error checking, and use hints whenever you're stuck. We aim to make our clues challenging enough to be satisfying, but accessible enough to keep you moving forward. How does it compare to other crossword apps? We designed Crossword Plus to be simple, intuitive, and accessible to everyone. While there are many excellent crossword apps available, we focus on delivering a clean, distraction-free solving experience that feels natural. Is every puzzle themed? Yes! Every single crossword in Crossword+ is built around a unique theme. What kinds of themes do you feature? Everything from Trivia Delights and Hollywood Hits to Tasty Treats and beyond! With over 3,000 themed puzzles in our archive, there’s lots to explore and new topics every day. Can I use Crossword+ offline? Yes! Download puzzles and solve them anywhere! On planes, trains, or wherever your internet connection isn't reliable. Do you have free crossword puzzles? We publish a new free 5×5 mini crossword every day. We offer a subscription which gives you access to full-size maxi puzzles and our extensive archive. Does Crossword+ have ads? No. We're ad-free. Is Crossword+ good for seniors? Yes! The app automatically respects your device's text size settings. Additionally, you can zoom in on any puzzle grid for additional magnification. Can crosswords help with vocabulary? Definitely. Regular crossword solving strengthens vocabulary, reinforces spelling, and improves word recall. All while having fun. Is this an American or British crossword? Both! We use vocabulary and spelling that works for solvers on both sides of the Atlantic, making our puzzles accessible to a global audience. Does Crossword Plus include easy and hard crossword puzzles? We focus on a single, balanced difficulty level that appeals to most solvers. You can make puzzles easier or more challenging by toggling hints and assistance features on or off. Can I use Crossword+ for quick puzzles? Perfect for it! Our daily 5×5 mini crossword is designed for a quick mental break which is ideal when you just want a few minutes of crossword fun. Does Crossword+ offer hints or help with clues? Yes! Every clue comes with an optional hint to nudge you in the right direction. Fair warning: using a hint adds 30 seconds to your completion time. LICENSED APPLICATION END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Astraware Crosswords4 screens
Crossword+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Crossword+ at none against Astraware Crosswords's shown. Crossword+ also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (12K vs 337). Astraware Crosswords's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, 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. Astraware Crosswords sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Crossword+ sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Astraware Crosswords holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword+ has 12K ratings behind it against 337, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Astraware Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 84% of Crossword+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astraware Crosswords ships an update every 2 months, Crossword+ every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Astraware Crosswords versus Crossword+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstraware CrosswordsCrossword+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (337 ratings) — better4.5 (12K ratings)
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews83.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings33712K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#161 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB49 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperAstraware LimitedPuzzleStar Limited

Customer experience

Astraware Crosswords

All ratings330 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews163 reviews
Positive81.6%
Neutral4.9%
Negative13.5%

Crossword+

All ratings11,465 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral6.9%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews540 reviews
Positive83.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative12.0%

User reviews

Astraware Crosswords

From 337 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Enjoyable crosswords
  • 🧠 Keeps mind active
  • 🕰️ Good daily challenge
  • 💰 Free with optional in-app purchases
  • 🔍 Helpful hints and solver features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes after updates
  • 📢 Intrusive ads
  • 🔍 Obscure or illogical clues
  • 🔁 Repetitive puzzles and clues
  • 🌐 Some British-centric content for US users

Crossword+

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🧠 Brain-stimulating puzzles
  • 🎯 Variety of themes and difficulty levels
  • ✨ Enjoyable and challenging experience
  • 🧠 Helps keep the mind active
  • 🕰️ Daily puzzles provide a routine activity

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
  • 🐛 Occasional errors in puzzle clues or answers
  • 🤔 Some puzzles may be too difficult for casual users
  • 🕰️ Limited number of free puzzles per month

Bugs and requests

Astraware Crosswords

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Puzzle timer issues
  • Leaderboard scores not updating properly
  • Purchased puzzle packs disappearing after updates

Requested features

5 requests
  • More daily puzzles
  • Ability to save/resume puzzles
  • Customizable difficulty levels
  • Offline puzzle packs
  • Improved keyboard and input responsiveness

Crossword+

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Freezing or crashing issues for some users
  • Subscription not always working as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Search function to find puzzles by topic
  • More difficulty levels to cater to all skill levels
  • Ability to track progress and stats over time

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Astraware Crosswords

Subscriptions3
  • Puzzles Plus7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Puzzles Plus7 Days trial$2.993 Months
  • Puzzles Plus7 Days trial$7.991 Year
One-time7
  • Fun-Size Pack$0.99
  • Family Pack$1.99
  • Easy Pack$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Vacation Pack$3.99
  • Ad-free daily puzzles$4.99
  • Deluxe Pack$4.99
  • Deluxe Pack 2$4.99
8 purchases

Crossword+

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Monthly$7.491 Month
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Year trial$37.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$37.991 Year
  • Yearly1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Astraware Crosswords free?
Astraware Crosswords 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, Astraware Crosswords or Crossword+?
Astraware Crosswords is rated higher. Astraware Crosswords averages 4.7 out of 5 from 337 ratings, while Crossword+ averages 4.5 from 12K ratings.
Do Astraware Crosswords or Crossword+ have ads?
Astraware Crosswords shows ads; Crossword+ does not.
Which is updated more often, Astraware Crosswords or Crossword+?
Astraware Crosswords ships an update every 2 months, and Crossword+ every 10 days. Most recently, Astraware Crosswords was updated on November 1, 2026 and Crossword+ on November 10, 2026.

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