# Crosswords vs Dot Puz

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dot Puz at none against Crosswords's 14. Dot Puz also leads on ads (none vs shown). Crosswords's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crosswords sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Dot Puz asks for nothing beyond the download.

Crosswords ships an update every 4 weeks, Dot Puz every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crosswords | Dot Puz |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (574 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **574** | — |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [Eric Bomgardner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1387383442) |

## 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, 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


### Dot Puz

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dot-puz/id6759811017)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crosswords free?

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

### Is Dot Puz free?

Dot Puz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Crosswords or Dot Puz have ads?

Crosswords shows ads; Dot Puz does not.

### Which is updated more often, Crosswords or Dot Puz?

Crosswords ships an update every 4 weeks, and Dot Puz every 2 months. Most recently, Crosswords was updated on September 4, 2026 and Dot Puz on September 11, 2026.

---

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