# Crosswords vs Crossword

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Crossword at 69% against Crosswords's 30%. Crossword also leads on ratings volume (43K vs 579) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). Crosswords's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crosswords sells 14 one-off in-app purchases and Crossword sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword has 43K ratings behind it against 579, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 69% of Crossword's.

Crosswords ships an update every 4 days, Crossword every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crosswords | Crossword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (579 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crosswords/id688876601/reviews) | **[4.5 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-by-puzzlingcom/id859866568/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 579 | **43K** |
| Positive reviews | 29.6% of reviews | **69.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 36 MB | 484 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stand Alone, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/284036527) | [AppyNation Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/488094583) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-by-puzzlingcom/id859866568)

Engage your mind with a vast collection of crossword puzzles and word games. Solve thousands of clues, complete daily challenges, and collect trophies across multiple game modes. Enjoy a new puzzle experience every day with this extensive library of brain-teasing fun.

**Highlights:** Thousands of unique clues, Hundreds of original puzzles, Daily themed puzzles, World's Biggest and Tallest crosswords, Multiple game modes (Cryptogram, Codewords, Word Grid), Trophies, quests, and achievements, Timed events

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coins Booster Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Booster Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Super Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Super Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coins Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coins Ultra Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Entertaining and user-friendly
- 🧠 Educational and practical
- 🤔 Challenging but not too difficult
- 🕰️ Good for passing time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Tokens/coins required to play more puzzles
- 📺 Excessive ads that interrupt gameplay
- 🇬🇧 Some clues use British slang/terms
- 🔁 Repetitive use of same words in puzzles

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or freezes after updates
- Inconsistent behavior with token/coin rewards
- Clues/answers not matching properly

**Requested features**

- Allow exchanging coins for tokens
- Provide more tokens/coins for completing puzzles
- Add option to view past completed puzzles
- Improve navigation and reduce interruptions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crosswords free?

Crosswords 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, Crosswords or Crossword?

Crossword is rated higher. Crosswords averages 4.3 out of 5 from 579 ratings, while Crossword averages 4.5 from 43K ratings.

### Do Crosswords or Crossword have ads?

Crossword shows ads; Crosswords does not.

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

Crosswords ships an update every 4 days, and Crossword every 6 weeks. Most recently, Crosswords was updated on October 29, 2026 and Crossword on October 31, 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.*