# Cryptic Crossword vs Daily Cryptic

The clearest difference is update cadence: Daily Cryptic at every 2 days against Cryptic Crossword's every 3 months. Cryptic Crossword's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptic Crossword sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Daily Cryptic sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per 3 months. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Cryptic Crossword against 4.7 for Daily Cryptic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cryptic Crossword has 1.1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, Daily Cryptic every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptic Crossword | Daily Cryptic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-crossword/id661608021/reviews)** | [4.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-cryptic-solve-and-learn/id6760104076/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 90.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [TF Daily](https://appshunter.io/developer/1882661735) |

## 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 (15)**

| 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 8) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 9) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 7) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack (Pack 13 with 20 puzzles) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack (Pack 12 with 20 puzzles) | $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


### Daily Cryptic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/daily-cryptic-solve-and-learn/id6760104076)

Learn to solve cryptic crosswords with daily clues, progressive hints, and step-by-step explanations. Build your skills through a structured learning series and practice with weekly crosswords and monthly prize challenges.

**Highlights:** Daily cryptic clues, Progressive hints, Step-by-step explanations, Structured learning series, Weekly practice crosswords, Monthly prize challenges, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Quarterly | $24.99 | per 3 months |
| Plus Yearly | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptic Crossword free?

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

### Is Daily Cryptic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cryptic Crossword or Daily Cryptic?

Cryptic Crossword is rated higher. Cryptic Crossword averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Daily Cryptic averages 4.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Cryptic Crossword or Daily Cryptic have ads?

Neither Cryptic Crossword nor Daily Cryptic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cryptic Crossword or Daily Cryptic?

Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, and Daily Cryptic every 2 days. Most recently, Cryptic Crossword was updated on October 21, 2026 and Daily Cryptic on October 5, 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.*