# Clean Crosswords vs Small Crosswords

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Clean Crosswords at 66% against Small Crosswords's 17%. Clean Crosswords also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (1.9K vs 9). Small Crosswords's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Clean Crosswords sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Small Crosswords asks for nothing beyond the download.

Clean Crosswords holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clean Crosswords has 1.9K ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Clean Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 17% of Small Crosswords's.

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, Small Crosswords every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Clean Crosswords | Small Crosswords |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196/reviews)** | [4.1 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/small-crosswords/id6475174988/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **65.8% of reviews** | 16.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 229 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [the binary family](https://appshunter.io/developer/307768703) | [John Corser](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016115570) |

## 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


### Small Crosswords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/small-crosswords/id6475174988)

Enjoy an endless supply of free mini crossword puzzles. Track your progress with detailed statistics and revisit past challenges. This game is designed for quick, engaging mental workouts.

**Highlights:** Unlimited mini crossword puzzles, Review previous puzzles, Monitor solving statistics, Free to play, Quick mental challenges

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Clean Crosswords free?

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

### Is Small Crosswords free?

Small Crosswords is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Clean Crosswords or Small Crosswords?

Clean Crosswords is rated higher. Clean Crosswords averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Small Crosswords averages 4.1 from 9 ratings.

### Do Clean Crosswords or Small Crosswords have ads?

Clean Crosswords shows ads; Small Crosswords does not.

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

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, and Small Crosswords every 2 weeks. Most recently, Clean Crosswords was updated on November 1, 2026 and Small Crosswords on October 24, 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.*