# Clean Crosswords vs Crossword

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Clean Crosswords at 1.9K against Crossword's 152. Crossword's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Clean Crosswords sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Crossword sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Clean Crosswords against 4.4 for Crossword. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clean Crosswords has 1.9K ratings behind it against 152, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Clean Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 70% of Crossword's.

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, Crossword every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Clean Crosswords | Crossword |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196/reviews)** | [4.4 (152 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword/id1061490811/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 152 |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **70.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 229 MB | 101 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [the binary family](https://appshunter.io/developer/307768703) | [Havos](https://appshunter.io/developer/309789068) |

## What reviewers say

### Clean Crosswords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196)

Enjoy a classic crossword experience designed for iOS devices. This app offers 1,800 puzzles with clues directly in the grid for easy viewing and play. It provides weeks of challenging fun in a clean, British English format.

**Highlights:** 1,800 crossword puzzles, Clues in puzzle grid, Classic British English, Designed for iPhone and iPad, Challenging fun

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging puzzles
- 🧠 Helps improve vocabulary and memory
- 🗓️ Lots of puzzles available
- 🎨 Clean and intuitive interface
- 💰 Free app with optional ad-free version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🇬🇧 Too many British-centric references and spellings
- 🔁 Repetitive clues and answers
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 📢 Intrusive ads in free version
- 🕹️ Navigation and layout issues on larger screens

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect word definitions or answers
- Arrows pointing to wrong cells
- Puzzle progress not saving properly
- Ads causing app crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Progress tracking and statistics
- Ability to replay completed puzzles
- More variety in puzzle difficulty levels
- Better integration of American English


### Crossword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword/id1061490811)

Engage with a vast collection of American-style crosswords, featuring adjustable grid sizes and difficulty levels. Enjoy unlimited on-the-fly generated puzzles and utilize helpful tools like validation and a built-in solver. Supports multiple languages and spelling preferences for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Adjustable grid zoom and movement, Multiple grid sizes and difficulty levels, On-the-fly grid generation for unlimited play, Thousands of straight and general knowledge clues, US/UK English spelling options, Built-in crossword solver and hints, Crosswords in French, German, and Dutch

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter (no ads) | $4.99 | per year |
| Stack of 1300 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Stack of 3000 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Stack of 8000 coins | $3.99 | one-time |
| Stack of 20000 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Clean Crosswords free?

Clean 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, Clean Crosswords or Crossword?

Clean Crosswords is rated higher. Clean Crosswords averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Crossword averages 4.4 from 152 ratings.

### Do Clean Crosswords or Crossword have ads?

Both Clean Crosswords and Crossword show ads.

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

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, and Crossword every 5 months. Most recently, Clean Crosswords was updated on November 1, 2026 and Crossword on November 1, 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.*