Comparison

Grid Genius vs Cryptical

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

Head to head
About

Grid Genius

Create custom crosswords on any topic or solve daily challenges. Build puzzles word by word, share them, or compete with friends. Offers hints that teach and tracks your progress.

Highlights
  • AI crossword generation from any topic
  • Manual word-by-word puzzle building
  • Daily challenge and leaderboards
  • Friend challenges and duels
  • Printable PDF export
  • Offline play
  • Progress tracking and stats
Features
Read full description

Make a crossword about anything. Solve a fresh one every day. Grid Genius is a crossword maker and a daily puzzle in one. Type a topic and get a playable crossword about it, build your own word by word, or just settle in with the daily challenge and a library of themed puzzles. MAKE A CROSSWORD ABOUT ANYTHING Pick a topic like Italian Cooking, Space Exploration, or 90s Music, choose the size and difficulty, and get a crossword about it. Your first few AI builds are free. BUILD IT WORD BY WORD The Word Builder turns your own words and clues into a real crossword grid. Making one for someone? Add a backup hint to any word and stuck solvers see your hint first, shown as the maker's hint. SHARE IT, PRINT IT, WATCH IT GET SOLVED Your puzzles live on your Home screen with play counts. Share one with a link, or export a PDF for solving on paper. Scan the QR code on any printed crossword and it opens right back in Grid Genius. DAILY CHALLENGE Start each day with a new crossword. Build your streak, climb the leaderboards, and see how you stack up against players worldwide. Come back tomorrow and keep the streak alive. FRIENDS AND DUELS Add a friend with a single link and see how your solves compare. Challenge them to a duel on the daily, on one of your own puzzles, or on a fresh crossword about any topic you pick. Same grid, best time wins, and every rematch adds to your series. MADE FOR CLASSROOMS Teachers turn vocabulary lists and lesson topics into puzzles students actually want to solve. Build a custom crossword for tomorrow's lesson, share one link with the whole class, or print a class set in up to four versions, same words on different grids, each with its own answer key. HINTS THAT TEACH Stuck on a clue? Reveal a letter, reveal a word, or have the clue said another way, so you learn while you play. EVERY SKILL LEVEL AND SIZE From quick mini crosswords to brain-bending Expert grids, there is a challenge for every skill level and every coffee break. Grid size and clue complexity scale with difficulty, so you are always in your zone. TOPICS FOR EVERY INTEREST Browse puzzles by topic: Science, Geography, Literature, Movies, Technology, Food, Nature, and dozens more. Discover new subjects or stick with your favorites. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Detailed stats show your completion rate, average solve time, best streaks, and improvement trends. Compare this week to last and watch yourself get sharper. BEAUTIFUL THEMES Play in light or dark mode with carefully crafted themes. Pro members unlock exclusive visual themes to personalize their experience. PLAY YOUR WAY - Auto-check answers as you type, or wait until you are done - Timer on or off - Sound effects and haptic feedback you can customize - Your progress is saved on your device, even without a connection - No coins, no lives, no energy timers FREE TO PLAY The daily challenge, streaks, leaderboards, friends and daily duels, printing, and your first AI-built puzzles are all free. Go Pro for unlimited puzzles and hints, news-grounded puzzles, and premium themes. Subscribers also get a For You shelf with puzzles matched to their interests. Download Grid Genius and turn anything you love into a crossword. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Service: https://gridgenius.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://gridgenius.app/privacy

About

Cryptical

Features
Read full description

Want a fiendish cryptic crossword? Purchase crosswords by professional setters and use the simple, expertly designed interface to solve. Need a simpler entry to cryptics? The Cryptical Community has single clues and mini crosswords for free. Look out for the pro submissions! Fancy yourself as a crossword setter? Subscribe and you can share your own creations and join in the discussions in the Cryptical Community. Stuck on a really tough clue? Get incremental hints to get you moving again. Use the anagram helper to make hidden words stand out. If you still don't understand the wordplay after all the hints get a clear explanation of how the clue works and level up your solving. Want to collaborate on a crossword? Invite another crossword fan to join in and solve in real-time together. Use the Brainstorm in-app messaging to discuss wordplay and get in-grid notifications badges on clues. Want to get help on your daily cryptic before the answers are released? Easily capture and upload printed newspaper or magazine crosswords, with or without answers, to use the app's solving tools and generated hints. Need a break from the cryptic clues? Get an easy or challenging themed non-cryptic crossword to test your general knowledge! Download the app and get solving! Privacy Policy: www.crypticalcrosswords.com/privacy Terms of Use: www.crypticalcrosswords.com/terms

Screenshots

Grid Genius4 screens
Cryptical4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Grid Genius at every 2 days against Cryptical's weekly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Grid Genius sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Cryptical sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Grid Genius ships an update every 2 days, Cryptical weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Grid Genius versus Cryptical: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGrid GeniusCryptical
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnil Rao KBenjamin Law Smith

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Grid Genius

Subscriptions5
  • Pro Weekly2 variants$4.997 Days
  • Plus Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Plus Yearly$39.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Hint Pass (Lifetime)$9.99
  • Hint Pass + AI (Lifetime)$19.99
10 purchases

Cryptical

One-time10
  • No. 1C by Linden$0.29
  • No. 2 by Vytautus$0.29
  • No. 3 by Vytautus$0.29
Show 7 more
  • No. 4 by Vytautus$0.29
  • Dogs by Linden$0.29
  • Mammals by Linden$0.29
  • Insects by Linden$0.29
  • No. 6 by Doc$0.49
  • Hint and explanation token top up$0.49
  • Animal-themed (x5) by Linden$0.99

Questions

Is Grid Genius free?
Grid Genius is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cryptical free?
Cryptical is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Grid Genius or Cryptical have ads?
Neither Grid Genius nor Cryptical shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Grid Genius or Cryptical?
Grid Genius ships an update every 2 days, and Cryptical weekly. Most recently, Grid Genius was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cryptical on October 25, 2026.

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