Comparison

Cryptic Crossword vs UpWord

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

UpWord

Features
Read full description

UpWord is a turn-based word game with a twist you won't find anywhere else: you can stack tiles on top of tiles. Play crossword-style across a glowing neon board, then go vertical — build a new letter on top of an existing one, up to three layers high. Every layer multiplies that tile's value (×2 on the second, ×3 on the third), so one clever stack can swing the whole game. Only the top letter counts towards words, and a three-high square locks for the rest of the match. FEATURES • Stack to score — the tile-stacking twist turns familiar word play into fresh strategy • Practise anytime — play offline against three bot difficulties, from warm-up to ruthless • Challenge friends online — turn-based matches you pick up whenever; share a code to invite anyone • Learn in a minute — a quick How to Play walks you through the rules and scoring • Clean neon interface, built-in dictionary, live scoring, swap and pass HOW STACKING WORKS 1. Someone plays a word — say CAT. 2. You stack an R on the T to make CAR — that R scores double. 3. An opponent stacks again to make FAD — the new tile scores triple, then locks. Transform your own words, ladder your own stacks, set up multipliers — building on your own tiles is fair play. Free to play, with an optional one-time Remove Ads purchase. Words, but with altitude. Download UpWord and start stacking.

Screenshots

Cryptic Crossword4 screens
UpWord4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Cryptic Crossword at none against UpWord's shown. UpWord's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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 15 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and UpWord 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, UpWord every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Cryptic Crossword versus UpWord: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCryptic CrosswordUpWord
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews90.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.1K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB63 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperTeazelOlaf Andreas Ovrum

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

UpWord

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

15 purchases

Cryptic Crossword

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$1.991 Month
  • 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

UpWord

One-time1
  • Remove ads$3.99

Questions

Is Cryptic Crossword free?
Cryptic Crossword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UpWord free?
UpWord is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cryptic Crossword or UpWord have ads?
UpWord shows ads; Cryptic Crossword does not.
Which is updated more often, Cryptic Crossword or UpWord?
Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, and UpWord every 3 days. Most recently, Cryptic Crossword was updated on October 21, 2026 and UpWord on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons