Comparison

Astraware Crosswords vs Codewords +

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

Codewords +

Solve crosswords where letters are replaced by numbers. Decipher the code to reveal the hidden words. Offers five difficulty levels, making it suitable for beginners and experienced players alike. Enjoy a clean, digital experience with unlimited attempts and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Number-coded crosswords
  • Five difficulty levels
  • 1400 puzzles available
  • Progress tracking
  • Mental exercise
Features
Read full description

Crossword puzzles with a twist! All the letters in a crossword have been replaced by numbers. Can you figure out which letter each number represents? Five different levels make this app is the perfect way to learn if you have never played before. Our codewords app is even better than playing it on paper. You won't waste any time searching around for a number, and you can change your answer as many times as you want without turning your puzzle into a mess. We made this app free so that you can test it without having to buy anything. It comes with ten free puzzles--two puzzles in each of the five levels. There are 1400 puzzles available for download, but the ten free puzzles might just keep you busy for a long time :) Features: - Easy to learn! - 5 levels of difficulty - 1400 puzzles (10 are free) - See your progress instantly in the puzzle book - A fun mental exercise to keep your brain sharp!

Screenshots

Astraware Crosswords4 screens
Codewords +4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Codewords + at none against Astraware Crosswords's shown. Codewords + also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). Astraware Crosswords's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 39 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Codewords + sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Astraware Crosswords against 4.8 for Codewords +. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 330 and 352 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Astraware Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 89% of Codewords +'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Astraware Crosswords ships an update every 2 months, Codewords + every 39 months. Both last shipped on October 10, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Astraware Crosswords versus Codewords +: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAstraware CrosswordsCodewords +
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (330 ratings)4.8 (352 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews88.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings330352 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 39 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.69.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB26 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAstraware LimitedSarah Pierce

Customer experience

Astraware Crosswords

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

Codewords +

All ratings352 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.9%
Written reviews122 reviews
Positive88.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative3.3%

User reviews

Astraware Crosswords

From 330 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

Codewords +

From 352 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app, no ads
  • 🎯 Well designed and straightforward to use
  • 🧠 Challenging and engaging
  • 🔍 Helps sharpen the mind
  • 💡 Beats paper version

Room to improve

  • 💰 Not entirely free, have to pay for more puzzles
  • 🌐 Uses American spelling, not suitable for UK users
  • 🔍 Hard to see/read visuals
  • 💰 A little too pricey for the number of puzzles

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

Codewords +

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Puzzle #29 looks different from actual puzzle
  • App is slowing down user's phone, needs update

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add a help/clue button
  • Option to choose UK English spelling
  • Add a timer for more challenge
  • Allow users to insert letters manually
  • Add more puzzles/levels

In-app purchases

12 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-time9
  • Fun-Size Pack$0.99
  • Family Pack$1.99
  • Easy Pack$1.99
Show 6 more
  • Tough Pack$1.99
  • Vacation Pack$3.99
  • Ad-free daily puzzles$4.99
  • Deluxe Pack$4.99
  • Deluxe Pack 2$4.99
  • Calendar Pack 2013$4.99
16 purchases

Codewords +

One-time16
  • Gentle Pack #1$0.99
  • Gentle Pack #2$0.99
  • Easy Pack #1$0.99
Show 13 more
  • Easy Pack #2$0.99
  • Medium Pack #1$0.99
  • Medium Pack #2$0.99
  • Hard Pack #1$0.99
  • Hard Pack #2$0.99
  • Expert Pack #1$0.99
  • Gentle Pack #4$0.99
  • Gentle Pack #3$0.99
  • Medium Pack #4$0.99
  • Medium Pack #3$0.99
  • Hard Pack #4$0.99
  • Hard Pack #3$0.99
  • Megapack$6.99

Questions

Is Astraware Crosswords free?
Astraware Crosswords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Codewords + free?
Codewords + is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Astraware Crosswords or Codewords +?
Codewords + is rated higher. Astraware Crosswords averages 4.7 out of 5 from 330 ratings, while Codewords + averages 4.8 from 352 ratings.
Do Astraware Crosswords or Codewords + have ads?
Astraware Crosswords shows ads; Codewords + does not.
Which is updated more often, Astraware Crosswords or Codewords +?
Astraware Crosswords ships an update every 2 months, and Codewords + every 39 months. Most recently, Astraware Crosswords was updated on October 10, 2026 and Codewords + on October 10, 2026.

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