Comparison

Guess the Words vs Crossly

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

Head to head
About

Guess the Words

This word puzzle game challenges you to guess words from given letters, aiming for high scores by using minimal hints. It features over 500 levels, a vast vocabulary, and humorous clues, offering hours of addictive entertainment.

Highlights
  • Guess words from provided letters
  • Score based on hints used
  • Over 500 levels
  • Vocabulary of over 100,000 words
  • Humorous clues
  • Addictive gameplay
Features
Read full description

Your task sounds simple enough: all you’ve got to do is guess the words from the letters provided, using the fewest hints possible. The fewer clues you use, the higher your score. However, like many things in life, it's not always as simple as it appears... For one thing, your nerves of steel may be sorely tested. Imagine performing such a simple task while being stared at by a big yellow monster with two terrible teeth. Can you fill in the correct letters, or will you run away screaming? Then there’s the added twist that the clues are so hilarious, you might find yourself asking for one even when you know the answer. Some people say that laughter is the best medicine. Those people clearly never went to medical school, but never mind… Still not convinced to try this amazingly addictive word game? What’s stopping you? It’s free to install, and for your 0 dollars, you get more than 500 levels and a game with a vocabulary of over 100,000 words! How many hidden words can you find? How many mind-bendingly tricky top-tier levels will you complete? You could learn new words to impress your friends and loved ones. Downloading this game could be the first step towards living the life you’ve always dreamed of. Or, at the very least, it’ll keep you entertained for hours. Guess the Words is simple to learn but difficult to master. It will keep you entertained with hundreds of levels and thousands of words to find. And the best bit? You’ll be granted superpowers if you correctly guess all the words!* So, take the plunge and do what all the cool kids (like my mum) are doing; install Guess the Words. It’s the best word puzzle game featuring a yellow monster that you’ll ever play! *Disclaimer: Superpowers not actually included!

About

Crossly

Engage in a strategic word game with friends, blending classic crosswords with competitive play. Earn points for correct answers, hinder opponents, and enjoy endless unique puzzles with interactive features like stealing turns and revealing letters.

Highlights
  • Endless unique crossword puzzles
  • Steal turns and send taunts
  • Peek at letters for difficult clues
  • Pencil in and change answers
  • Offline saving of penciled words
  • Premium mode with bonus peeks and themes
Features
Read full description

Challenge your friends in the fun strategic word game that combines classic crosswords with the spirit of friendly competition! In Crossly™, two players take turns filling out the board, accumulating points for each correct clue by gaining a point for each letter in the clue and subtracting a point from their opponent for any of their intersecting answers. Clean design, fluid animations and playful messaging work together to make this the best crosswords experience in the App Store. Features: - Endless Gameplay: Crossly pulls from tens of thousands of clues to generate unique crossword puzzles on the fly for optimal replay value. No two boards are ever alike! - Steal & Taunt: When you or your opponent miss a word, the other player may choose to steal for an extra turn and send a friendly taunt using animated GIFs powered by GIPHY - Peeks: For hard-to-guess clues, you may use one Peek per turn to reveal a letter of your choice. That letter is only visible to the player who initiates the Peek. Bonus Peeks are awarded for completing games and Peek Packs may be acquired via In-App Purchase. - Penciling: Penciling allows you to work on the board at any time, changing answers and adjusting your strategy as more words are completed. All penciled words are saved, even when your network connection is offline. - Premium Mode: Play unlimited games for free, or unlock Premium Mode for 15 bonus Peeks and colorful themes. Show your love by choosing your own price to upgrade!

Screenshots

Guess the Words4 screens
Crossly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Crossly at none against Guess the Words's shown. Crossly also leads on iOS requirement (10 vs 15.0). Guess the Words's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 51%) and ratings volume (32 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Guess the Words sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Crossly sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Crossly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guess the Words has 32 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 70% of Guess the Words's written reviews are positive against 51% of Crossly's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guess the Words ships an update every 7 months, Crossly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Guess the Words versus Crossly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuess the WordsCrossly
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (32 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.3% of reviews — better50.7% of reviews
Number of ratings32 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.010 — better
Further details — not scored
Size262 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLunapp, TOOMercury Intermedia, Inc.

Customer experience

Guess the Words

All ratings32 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive70.3%
Neutral9.9%
Negative19.8%

Crossly

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews73 reviews
Positive50.7%
Neutral27.4%
Negative21.9%

Bugs and requests

Guess the Words

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Crossly

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • App won't load / spins forever
  • Games disappear or are lost
  • Notifications are broken / badge issues
  • Rematch issues (wrong person)
Show 11 more
  • Board/clues mixed up or incorrect
  • Games don't update automatically
  • Inability to start games with friends
  • In-game errors and glitches
  • Crashing on launch
  • Games stuck in 'waiting for their move' list
  • Inconsistent turn notifications
  • Cannot decline rematches
  • Cannot end games without resigning
  • Clues are sometimes backwards
  • Words run into each other

Requested features

13 requests
  • iPad support
  • UK version of the game
  • Difficulty levels
  • Chat feature
  • Facebook integration
Show 8 more
  • User-selectable usernames
  • Stats page (wins/losses)
  • Themes for puzzles
  • Time limits for turns
  • Ability to decline invitations
  • Reminder for opponent's turn
  • More American puzzle makers/content
  • Color customization options

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Guess the Words

One-time6
  • 20 Letters$0.99
  • No Ads$0.99
  • 50 Letters$1.99
Show 3 more
  • No Ads, +100 letters!$1.99
  • 100 Letters$2.99
  • 500 Letters$7.99
7 purchases

Crossly

One-time7
  • "Meh" Premium Upgrade$0.99
  • Peek Pack - 5 Peeks$0.99
  • "It's Cool" Premium Upgrade$1.99
Show 4 more
  • Peek Pack - 15 Peeks$1.99
  • "LOVE" Premium Upgrade$2.99
  • Peek Pack - 25 Peeks$2.99
  • Peek Pack - 100 Peeks$4.99

Questions

Is Guess the Words free?
Guess the Words is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Crossly free?
Crossly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Guess the Words or Crossly?
Crossly is rated higher. Guess the Words averages 4.8 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Crossly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Guess the Words or Crossly have ads?
Guess the Words shows ads; Crossly does not.
Which is updated more often, Guess the Words or Crossly?
Guess the Words ships an update every 7 months, and Crossly every 5 months. Most recently, Guess the Words was updated on November 1, 2026 and Crossly on November 3, 2026.

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