Comparison

Cryptic Crossword vs Daily Thread

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

Head to head
About

Cryptic Crossword

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
Read full description

A brand new cryptic crossword every day, plus 260+ professional puzzles to keep you pondering. These are cryptic level crosswords, suitable for seasoned crossword enthusiasts. DAILY PUZZLES A brand new cryptic crossword published every day. Build a streak by playing daily, earn coins, and unlock puzzles at your own pace. Four weeks of daily puzzles are available to catch up on. EXPLAIN THE CLUE Stuck on the wordplay? Tap 'Explain clue' for a clear explanation of how any cryptic clue works, breaking down the wordplay and the definition. A great way to learn the tricks of cryptic solving. SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS Subscribe for unlimited access to every daily puzzle and all archive packs, with no coins needed. Available as monthly, quarterly, or annual plans. 260+ ARCHIVE PUZZLES Thirteen packs of professional cryptic crosswords to keep you thinking. Great for a quick coffee break or a longer session. EARN COINS & STREAKS Open the app each day to earn bonus coins. The longer your streak, the bigger the bonus. Spend coins to unlock daily and archive puzzles, or watch a short ad for extra coins whenever you choose. Features: - a brand new cryptic crossword every day - daily login bonus with streak rewards - earn coins by playing daily, or watch a short ad for extra coins - unlock puzzles with coins, or subscribe for unlimited access - great for iPads and iPhones - pinch zooming grid - 'Explain clue' breaks down the wordplay and definition of any cryptic clue - hints, highlight mistakes and answer checking - backup and restore If you're finding Cryptic a little too challenging, why not try our standard 'Crossword' or 'Crossword US' apps. The Terms of Use (EULA) can be found here: https://www.teazel.com/cryptic_crossword_terms/ios_terms_en.html

About

Daily Thread

Features
Read full description

Find the one word that threads five clues together, using as few clues as possible. Each clue connects to the answer in a completely different way: an idiom, a compound word, a double meaning, a piece of pop culture. The first clue could mean anything. By the third, the thread starts to click. Start with one clue. Every wrong guess reveals the next. Get it in one and you're Uncanny. Get it in five and you Got there. A new thread every day. Same puzzle for everyone. Share your result with a spoiler-free emoji grid and see who found the thread fastest. FEATURES · One new daily puzzle, every day · Practice rounds to learn the game · Streaks, history and personal stats · Spoiler-free emoji sharing · Play offline, anywhere · Optional daily reminders · Private iCloud sync across your devices

Screenshots

Cryptic Crossword4 screens
Daily Thread4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Daily Thread at every 11 days against Cryptic Crossword's every 3 months. Cryptic Crossword's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. Cryptic Crossword sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per year and Daily Thread sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, Daily Thread every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Cryptic Crossword versus Daily Thread: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCryptic CrosswordDaily Thread
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB7 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTeazelZachary Ellis

Bugs and requests

Cryptic Crossword

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

7 requests
  • Ability to reset/replay puzzles
  • More challenging puzzle packs
  • Explanations/hints for clues
  • Syncing progress across devices
  • Graded difficulty levels
Show 2 more
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to indicate wrong answers

Daily Thread

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

14 purchases

Cryptic Crossword

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly (best value)1 Year trial$12.991 Year
One-time13
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 1)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 2)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 3)$0.99
Show 10 more
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 4)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 5)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 6)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 8)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 9)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 10)$0.99
  • pack of Cryptic Crosswords (Pack 7)$0.99
  • pack (Pack 13 with 20 puzzles)$0.99
  • pack (Pack 12 with 20 puzzles)$0.99
  • get all 13 Cryptic packs$3.99
1 purchases

Daily Thread

One-time1
  • Thread Archive$0.99

Questions

Is Cryptic Crossword free?
Cryptic Crossword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Daily Thread free?
Daily Thread is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cryptic Crossword or Daily Thread have ads?
Neither Cryptic Crossword nor Daily Thread shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cryptic Crossword or Daily Thread?
Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, and Daily Thread every 11 days. Most recently, Cryptic Crossword was updated on October 14, 2026 and Daily Thread on October 2, 2026.

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