# Clean Crosswords vs Crossword Puzzles!

Clean Crosswords and Crossword Puzzles! both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of Crossword Puzzles!'s written reviews are positive against 66% of Clean Crosswords's. Crossword Puzzles! also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (9K vs 1.9K). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Clean Crosswords sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Crossword Puzzles! sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossword Puzzles! holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 9K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Clean Crosswords's written reviews are positive against 85% of Crossword Puzzles!'s.

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, Crossword Puzzles! monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Clean Crosswords | Crossword Puzzles! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clean-crosswords/id773100196/reviews) | **[4.6 (9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzles/id804708947/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.9K | **9K** |
| Positive reviews | 65.8% of reviews | **84.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 229 MB | 199 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) | [DexCheck, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1389355811) |

## 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 Puzzles!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-puzzles/id804708947)

Solve daily crosswords set in beautiful global locations. Collect stunning destinations, tackle special weekend puzzles, and earn stamps and badges. Offers thousands of puzzles for all skill levels with optional hints.

**Highlights:** Daily free puzzles, Collectible global destinations, Weekend getaway puzzles, Stamps, pins, and badges, Thousands of puzzles, Hints available

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Wanderlust Pass (1 Month) | $5.99 | per month |
| Pack of 100 Tickets | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tickets - Tier 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 100 Tickets | $1.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 100 Tickets | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tickets - Tier 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tickets - Tier 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 500 Tickets | $11.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 1250 Tickets | $23.99 | one-time |
| First Class Ticket: Unlimited | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎯 Daily fun
- 🧠 Fun and challenging puzzles
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🧠 Helpful clues
- 🧠 Great variety of puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription too expensive
- 🔍 Too many ads
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔍 Distracting and intrusive ads
- 🔍 Repeated puzzles

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle download failures
- Incorrect letter input
- Puzzle progress not saving
- Ads getting stuck and preventing gameplay

**Requested features**

- Ability to remove ads
- More free puzzles or ways to earn tickets
- Improved navigation and cursor control
- Option to choose background/color scheme
- Ability to access past puzzles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Clean Crosswords free?

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

### Is Crossword Puzzles! free?

Crossword Puzzles! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Clean Crosswords or Crossword Puzzles!?

Crossword Puzzles! is rated higher. Clean Crosswords averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Crossword Puzzles! averages 4.6 from 9K ratings.

### Do Clean Crosswords or Crossword Puzzles! have ads?

Both Clean Crosswords and Crossword Puzzles! show ads.

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

Clean Crosswords ships an update every 4 months, and Crossword Puzzles! monthly. Most recently, Clean Crosswords was updated on November 6, 2026 and Crossword Puzzles! on November 9, 2026.

---

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