Comparison

Cryptical vs Across

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

Head to head
About

Cryptical

Features
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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

About

Across

Features
Read full description

Across is a daily cryptic crossword for families to solve together, wherever everyone lives. Every day there's a new puzzle, and the whole family shares one grid. Letters appear on everyone's phone as they're typed, each person in their own colour, so you can see who cracked which clue, and where everyone is in the puzzle right now. Talk about a clue on WhatsApp: Across opens it with the clue typed in. Stuck? Help comes in steps: first see which words are the definition, then what kind of clue it is, and only then reveal the answer. Once a clue is solved, Explain shows how it works. Also: โ€ข An anagram pad for shuffling letters โ€ข Check your answers when you're ready โ€ข Gentle notifications when the family's playing, and nothing overnight โ€ข Works on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV Your family's grid is stored in the iCloud account of whoever sets up the family, and shared only with the people they invite. There are no ads and no sign-up. One subscription covers the family: whoever sets it up subscribes after a 14-day free trial, and everyone they invite plays free. Across monthly renews each month until it's cancelled in your Apple Account's subscription settings. Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://www.datamediate.com/across/privacy.html

Screenshots

Cryptical4 screens
Across4 screens

Verdict

The call

Cryptical and Across are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters โ€” price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Cryptical sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Across sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cryptical ships an update weekly, Across every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Cryptical versus Across: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrypticalAcross
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad โ€” better
Requires iOS16.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size11 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenjamin Law SmithDatamediate Oy

In-app purchases

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
1 purchases

Across

Subscriptions1
  • Across14 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Cryptical free?
Cryptical is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Across free?
Across is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cryptical or Across have ads?
Neither Cryptical nor Across shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cryptical or Across?
Cryptical ships an update weekly, and Across every 4 days. Most recently, Cryptical was updated on October 25, 2026 and Across on October 24, 2026.

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