# Codewords vs Crossword

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Codewords at 77% against Crossword's 28%. Codewords also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Crossword's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 9 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Codewords sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Crossword sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Codewords holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 83 and 37 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Codewords's written reviews are positive against 28% of Crossword's.

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, Crossword every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Codewords | Crossword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords/id682094723/reviews)** | [4.5 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-arrowword/id1485345280/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **83** | 37 |
| Positive reviews | **76.9% of reviews** | 28.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 15 MB | 264 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Teazel](https://appshunter.io/developer/576525182) | [Muhammet Gazi Salik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485345279) |

## What reviewers say

### Codewords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codewords/id682094723)

Engage your mind with unique crossword puzzles where letters are replaced by numbers. Solve the code by deducing which number represents which letter to complete the grid. Perfect for a quick mental workout.

**Highlights:** Number-to-letter decoding, 900 complete puzzles, Zooming grid, Cheats and answer checking, Landscape mode

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 1) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 2) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 3) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 4) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 5) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 6) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 7) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 9) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 10) | $0.99 | one-time |
| pack of Codewords (Pack 11) | $0.99 | one-time |
| full set of Codewords packs | $2.99 | one-time |


### Crossword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-arrowword/id1485345280)

Engage your mind with a fresh take on word puzzles. This game offers a vast collection of English arrowword puzzles designed to expand vocabulary and provide hours of entertainment. Enjoy flexible difficulty levels and offline play.

**Highlights:** 1000+ English puzzles, Beginner to expert difficulty, Offline gameplay, Progress saving, User-friendly interface

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No Ads | $9.49 | per month |
| 1000 GOLD | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5000 GOLD | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10000 GOLD | $7.99 | one-time |
| 15000 GOLD | $10.99 | one-time |
| 20000 GOLD | $13.99 | one-time |
| 25000 GOLD | $16.99 | one-time |
| 50000 GOLD | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Codewords free?

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

### Is Crossword free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Codewords or Crossword?

Codewords is rated higher. Codewords averages 4.8 out of 5 from 83 ratings, while Crossword averages 4.5 from 37 ratings.

### Do Codewords or Crossword have ads?

Crossword shows ads; Codewords does not.

### Which is updated more often, Codewords or Crossword?

Codewords ships an update every 9 months, and Crossword every 2 months. Most recently, Codewords was updated on September 26, 2026 and Crossword on September 24, 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.*