# Crosswords vs Rows Garden

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Rows Garden at 88% against Crosswords's 28%. Rows Garden also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 14) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Crosswords's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and ratings volume (574 vs 16). On ads there is nothing between them.

Crosswords is free to download; Rows Garden costs $3.99 up front. Crosswords sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Rows Garden asks for nothing beyond the download.

Rows Garden holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crosswords has 574 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 88% of Rows Garden's.

Crosswords ships an update every 3 weeks, Rows Garden every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crosswords | Rows Garden |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (574 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews) | **[4.7 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rows-garden/id1359915876/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **574** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#158** |
| Size | 34 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [Robert Bosch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1324799290) |

## What reviewers say

### Crosswords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601)

Engage with daily crossword puzzles from various newspapers, offering hints, clue lookups, and progress tracking. Upgrade for automatic puzzle delivery, access to extensive archives, and a wider selection of premium puzzle sources.

**Highlights:** Daily newspaper crossword puzzles, Hints and clue lookups, Progress tracking, US and UK cryptic puzzles, Automatic puzzle downloads, Access to extensive puzzle archives, Comparison with other solvers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Safari Extension, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lionel's crosswords, Vol. 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Ink Well Xwords, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dell Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Edited by Ben Tausig, Vol. 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ridonkulous Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Liz Gorski's Crossword Nation: Vol. 1, No. 1-20 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Dell Medium Crosswords | $1.99 | one-time |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley's Faves #1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Jonesin' Crosswords | $2.99 | one-time |
| Edited By Tausig 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Brendan Emmett Quigley Freestyle | $2.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords Pro (Upgrade) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Crossword Nation's Centennial Edition | $7.99 | one-time |
| Crosswords Pro | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Diverse and challenging puzzles
- 👍 Clean and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Ability to check/reveal answers
- 👍 Responsive developers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🐛 Bugs with navigation and menu
- 🐛 Inconsistent puzzle download functionality
- 🔒 Lack of accessibility for visually impaired users
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle grid freezing or displaying blank
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
- Inability to access or download certain puzzle sources

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to delete puzzles
- Comprehensive error checking and feedback
- Customizable keyboard and gestures


### Rows Garden

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rows-garden/id1359915876)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Paid · Word (US App Store)

This app offers a unique crossword puzzle variant with interlocking row and bloom clues. Solve puzzles with adjustable difficulty levels, suitable for both beginners and experienced players. It includes pre-made puzzles and links to external constructors.

**Highlights:** Unique row and bloom clue system, Fully-packed triangular grid, Adjustable difficulty levels, Includes pre-made puzzles, Links to puzzle constructors

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crosswords free?

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

### Is Rows Garden free?

Rows Garden costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Crosswords or Rows Garden?

Rows Garden is rated higher. Crosswords averages 4.4 out of 5 from 574 ratings, while Rows Garden averages 4.7 from 16 ratings.

### Do Crosswords or Rows Garden have ads?

Neither Crosswords nor Rows Garden shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Crosswords or Rows Garden?

Crosswords ships an update every 3 weeks, and Rows Garden every 2 months. Most recently, Crosswords was updated on October 17, 2026 and Rows Garden on October 22, 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.*