# Crosswords vs Crossword Scanner

The clearest difference is rating: Crosswords at 4.3 against Crossword Scanner's 1.3. Crosswords also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (579 vs 3). Crossword Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crosswords sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Crossword Scanner sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crosswords holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crosswords has 579 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 30% of Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 33% of Crossword Scanner's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Crosswords ships an update every 4 days, Crossword Scanner every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crosswords | Crossword Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews)** | [1.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-scanner/id6474579859/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **579** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 29.6% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 9 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 36 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [Havnør](https://appshunter.io/developer/630262552) |

## 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, iPhone Duo support

**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


### Crossword Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-scanner/id6474579859)

Capture crosswords from physical media or digital screenshots and solve them on your device. Features a live preview for accurate scanning and an intuitive interface for inputting answers.

**Highlights:** Scan crosswords with live preview, Import from device gallery, Solve scanned crosswords on device, Tap to edit horizontally/vertically, Supports iPhone and iPad

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Quarterly | $4.99 | per 3 months |
| Yearly | $14.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $29.99 | one-time |
| Enable sharing | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crosswords free?

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

### Is Crossword Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crosswords or Crossword Scanner?

Crosswords is rated higher. Crosswords averages 4.3 out of 5 from 579 ratings, while Crossword Scanner averages 1.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do Crosswords or Crossword Scanner have ads?

Crossword Scanner shows ads; Crosswords does not.

### Which is updated more often, Crosswords or Crossword Scanner?

Crosswords ships an update every 4 days, and Crossword Scanner every 9 days. Most recently, Crosswords was updated on October 29, 2026 and Crossword Scanner on October 24, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*