# Cryptic Crossword vs Cryptical

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cryptical at weekly against Cryptic Crossword's every 3 months. Cryptic Crossword's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cryptic Crossword sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Cryptical sells 19 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, Cryptical weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cryptic Crossword | Cryptical |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptic-crossword/id661608021/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 10 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [Benjamin Law Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/6800681102) |

## 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


### Cryptical

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cryptical/id6800680958)

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

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Puzzle by Dalibor | Free | one-time |
| Puzzle by Exit | Free | one-time |
| Await Further Instructions by Henri | Free | one-time |
| Puzzle by Invicta | Free | one-time |
| Puzzle by Major | Free | one-time |
| Puzzle by metagloria | Free | one-time |
| Bad Postman by NoBadWeather | Free | one-time |
| Puzzle by Ouroboros | Free | one-time |
| Puzzle by tpg | Free | one-time |
| No. 1C by Linden | $0.29 | one-time |
| No. 2 by Vytautus | $0.29 | one-time |
| No. 3 by Vytautus | $0.29 | one-time |
| No. 4 by Vytautus | $0.29 | one-time |
| Dogs by Linden | $0.29 | one-time |
| Mammals by Linden | $0.29 | one-time |
| Insects by Linden | $0.29 | one-time |
| No. 6 by Doc | $0.49 | one-time |
| Hint and explanation token top up | $0.49 | one-time |
| Animal-themed (x5) by Linden | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cryptic Crossword free?

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

### Is Cryptical free?

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

### Do Cryptic Crossword or Cryptical have ads?

Neither Cryptic Crossword nor Cryptical shows ads.

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

Cryptic Crossword ships an update every 3 months, and Cryptical weekly. Most recently, Cryptic Crossword was updated on November 1, 2026 and Cryptical on October 29, 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.*