# Clean Crosswords vs Crossword+

The clearest difference is ads: Crossword+ at none against Clean Crosswords's shown. Crossword+ also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (83% vs 66%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Clean Crosswords sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Crossword+ sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. 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 4.5 for Crossword+. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword+ has 12K ratings behind it against 1.9K, 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 83% of Crossword+'s.

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, Crossword+ every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Clean Crosswords | Crossword+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196/reviews)** | [4.5 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-plus/id1330947092/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.9K | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **83.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#158** |
| Size | 229 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [the binary family](https://appshunter.io/developer/307768703) | [PuzzleStar Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/603054453) |

## 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-plus/id1330947092)

**Currently charting:** #158 Top Grossing · Word, #160 Top Free · Word (US App Store)

Start your day with two new themed crossword puzzles daily, ranging from classic literature to movie magic. Enjoy a satisfying yet gentle challenge, with helpful hints and auto-check features. Solve puzzles offline and adjust text size for a comfortable, ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Two new themed puzzles daily, Over 3,000 puzzles in archive, Helpful hints and AutoCheck, Offline play supported, Ad-free experience, Adjustable text size

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $7.49 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $37.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $37.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Brain-stimulating puzzles
- 🎯 Variety of themes and difficulty levels
- ✨ Enjoyable and challenging experience
- 🧠 Helps keep the mind active
- 🕰️ Daily puzzles provide a routine activity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
- 🐛 Occasional errors in puzzle clues or answers
- 🤔 Some puzzles may be too difficult for casual users
- 🕰️ Limited number of free puzzles per month

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing issues for some users
- Subscription not always working as expected

**Requested features**

- Search function to find puzzles by topic
- More difficulty levels to cater to all skill levels
- Ability to track progress and stats over 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 4.5 from 12K ratings.

### Do Clean Crosswords or Crossword+ have ads?

Clean Crosswords shows ads; Crossword+ does not.

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

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, and Crossword+ every 10 days. Most recently, Clean Crosswords was updated on October 23, 2026 and Crossword+ on October 28, 2026.

---

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