Comparison

Crossword Puzzles! vs Matrix Stack

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Crossword Puzzles!

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
Read full description

Take your passion for crosswords around the world with Crossword Puzzles! Crosswords set in the world's most beautiful places. Solve a free puzzle every day, collect stunning destinations as you play, and take on special Weekend Getaways. “This is the most beautiful crossword app I’ve ever seen!” A FREE PUZZLE EVERY DAY Play every daily puzzle in the current month for free, not just today's. Each month has its own calendar showing your stars, your streak and the stamps still to earn. COLLECT BREATHTAKING DESTINATIONS Dozens of high-resolution nature photographs from around the world fill your screen as you solve. Unlock new ones by playing, mark your favorites, and let your background change daily. NEW MINI PUZZLES EVERY MONTH A fresh set of 24 quick minis each month. Finish the set to earn a brand-new destination. WEEKEND GETAWAYS Special sets of puzzles every few weekends. Score points for solving on your own and solving fast, earn bronze, silver and gold medals, see where you rank on the leaderboard, and collect a souvenir pin for each one you complete. STAMPS, PINS AND BADGES Earn a bronze, silver and gold passport stamp each month, and dozens of badges for streaks, perfect solves and more. Keep your daily streak going with a streak freeze. THOUSANDS OF PUZZLES Puzzles for every skill level, from easy to challenging. Hints when you need them: reveal a letter, reveal a word, or check for mistakes. Plays beautifully on iPhone and iPad, in portrait or landscape on iPad. WANDERLUST PASS Subscribe for the full experience: • Every destination unlocked, plus new seasonal destinations every three months • Unlimited puzzles, including every past daily puzzle • Free hints • Free streak freezes • No ads The Wanderlust Pass is available as a 1-month, 3-month or 1-year subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://dexcheck.com/privacy

About

Matrix Stack

Tap to precisely drop boxes and build the tallest tower. This addictive one-tap game features a retro style and satisfying gameplay. It's easy to learn but challenging to master, perfect for quick sessions or extended play.

Highlights
  • Precision-based stacking
  • One-tap gameplay
  • Retro aesthetic
  • Offline play
  • Fast restarts
  • Hyper-casual design
Features
Read full description

Matrix Stack – Addictive One-Tap Tower Challenge Stack boxes & Beat gravity Tap to perfectly drop boxes and build the highest tower possible! One wrong move and it all comes crashing down. With a sleek retro style and smooth, addictive gameplay, Matrix Stack brings classic arcade stacking into the future. Why You’ll Love Matrix Stack: - Precision-based stacking game that rewards perfect timing - Easy to learn, hard to master – ideal for quick sessions or long runs - Hyper-casual design with a nostalgic, minimal aesthetic - Fast restarts and tight feedback loop = pure arcade satisfaction - No Wi-Fi needed – play offline anytime Whether you're chasing your next high score or just killing a few minutes, Matrix Stack is the go-to mobile stacker for fans of tap games, retro arcades, and precision reflex challenges. Can you reach the perfect stack? Download Matrix Stack now and put your timing to the test!

Screenshots

Crossword Puzzles!4 screens
Matrix Stack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Crossword Puzzles! at Free against Matrix Stack's $0.99. Crossword Puzzles! also leads on ratings volume (9K vs 15). Matrix Stack's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Crossword Puzzles! is free to download; Matrix Stack costs $0.99 up front. Crossword Puzzles! sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Matrix Stack asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Matrix Stack holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Puzzles! has 9K ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Crossword Puzzles!'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Matrix Stack's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Crossword Puzzles! ships an update monthly, Matrix Stack every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Crossword Puzzles! versus Matrix Stack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrossword Puzzles!Matrix Stack
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.7 (9K ratings)5.0 (15 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9K — better15
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size199 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDexCheck, LLCANR Studio

Customer experience

Crossword Puzzles!

All ratings8,962 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral4.1%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews467 reviews
Positive84.8%
Neutral7.3%
Negative7.9%

Matrix Stack

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Crossword Puzzles!

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Puzzle download failures
  • Incorrect letter input
  • Puzzle progress not saving
  • Ads getting stuck and preventing gameplay

Requested features

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Inclusion of more British/European vocabulary

Matrix Stack

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Crossword Puzzles!

Subscriptions1
  • Wanderlust Pass (1 Month)$5.991 Month
One-time9
  • Pack of 100 Tickets$0.99
  • Tickets - Tier 1$0.99
  • Pack of 100 Tickets$1.99
Show 6 more
  • Pack of 100 Tickets$2.99
  • Tickets - Tier 2$2.99
  • Tickets - Tier 3$4.99
  • Pack of 500 Tickets$11.99
  • Pack of 1250 Tickets$23.99
  • First Class Ticket: Unlimited$99.99
None

Matrix Stack

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Crossword Puzzles! free?
Crossword Puzzles! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Matrix Stack free?
Matrix Stack costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Crossword Puzzles! or Matrix Stack?
Matrix Stack is rated higher. Crossword Puzzles! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9K ratings, while Matrix Stack averages 5.0 from 15 ratings.
Do Crossword Puzzles! or Matrix Stack have ads?
Crossword Puzzles! shows ads; Matrix Stack does not.
Which is updated more often, Crossword Puzzles! or Matrix Stack?
Crossword Puzzles! ships an update monthly, and Matrix Stack every 3 weeks. Most recently, Crossword Puzzles! was updated on November 9, 2026 and Matrix Stack on November 4, 2026.

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