# Cryptic Crossword vs Times Puzzles

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cryptic Crossword at 91% against Times Puzzles's 12%. Cryptic Crossword also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.8) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptic Crossword sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Times Puzzles sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cryptic Crossword holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cryptic Crossword has 1.1K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Cryptic Crossword's written reviews are positive against 12% of Times Puzzles's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptic Crossword | Times Puzzles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-crossword/id661608021/reviews)** | [2.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-puzzles/id1531296302/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **90.6% of reviews** | 12.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 10 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [Times Media Limited (Apps)](https://appshunter.io/developer/363976957) |

## What reviewers say

### Cryptic Crossword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-crossword/id661608021)

Engage with over 260 professional cryptic crosswords designed for experienced puzzle solvers. Enjoy a full-featured experience with 29 free puzzles, including pinch zooming, mistake highlighting, and resume functionality.

**Highlights:** 260+ professional cryptic crosswords, 29 free puzzles, Pinch zooming grid, Cheats and mistake highlighting, Resume functionality, Customizable preferences

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly (best value) | $12.99 | per year |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 1) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 2) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 3) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 6) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| get all 13 Cryptic packs | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great mind workout
- 👍 Excellent value for money
- 👍 Fantastic and addictive challenges
- 👍 Not too hard not too easy
- 👍 Excellent intro to cryptic crosswords

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Backup/restore not working
- 🐛 Purchased puzzles disappearing after device change
- 🔍 Clues can be too easy or too obscure
- 🔍 Too many anagrams and hidden word clues

**Reported bugs**

- Backup/restore not working
- Purchased puzzles disappearing after device change
- Freezing and crashing issues

**Requested features**

- Ability to reset/replay puzzles
- More challenging puzzle packs
- Explanations/hints for clues
- Syncing progress across devices
- Graded difficulty levels


### Times Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/times-puzzles/id1531296302)

Engage your mind with a daily collection of renowned crosswords and logic puzzles. Access a vast archive and enjoy a variety of challenges on the go, anytime and anywhere. Perfect for puzzle enthusiasts seeking a mental workout.

**Highlights:** Daily crosswords and logic puzzles, Two-week puzzle archive, Play anywhere, anytime, Concise, Cryptic, Quick Cryptic crosswords, Sudoku, Killer Sudoku, Futoshiki, Kakuro, Brain Trainer and Cell Blocks puzzles

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7 day trial then monthly fee | $3.99 | per month |
| 7 day trial then monthly fee | $4.99 | per month |
| 7 day trial then monthly fee | $6.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable puzzles
- 💡 Convenient to have puzzles in one place
- 👍 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Puzzles not saving progress
- 🐛 Puzzles not marking as completed
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Notifications and settings issues
- 🐛 Keyboard problems and poor usability

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles not saving progress
- Puzzles not marking as completed
- Crashes and freezes
- Notifications and settings issues
- Keyboard problems and poor usability

**Requested features**

- Add Codeword puzzle
- Improve Sudoku interface
- Add ability to print puzzles
- Sync progress across devices
- Provide more puzzle types


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptic Crossword free?

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

### Is Times Puzzles free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cryptic Crossword or Times Puzzles?

Cryptic Crossword is rated higher. Cryptic Crossword averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Times Puzzles averages 2.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do Cryptic Crossword or Times Puzzles have ads?

Neither Cryptic Crossword nor Times Puzzles shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptic Crossword or Times Puzzles?

Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, and Times Puzzles every 3 months. Most recently, Cryptic Crossword was updated on November 1, 2026 and Times Puzzles on November 3, 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.*