# Cross Boss vs Brain Wars

The clearest difference is rating: Brain Wars at 4.6 against Cross Boss's 4.2. Brain Wars also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 59) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). Cross Boss's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 65%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Cross Boss sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Brain Wars sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Brain Wars holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brain Wars has 2.5K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Cross Boss's written reviews are positive against 65% of Brain Wars's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cross Boss ships an update every 3 months, Brain Wars every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cross Boss | Brain Wars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cross-boss/id811255164/reviews) | **[4.6 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brain-wars/id845044428/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 59 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 64.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 71 MB | 63 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KEP Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/811255167) | [Translimit, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/845044431) |

## What reviewers say

### Cross Boss

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cross-boss/id811255164)

This app transforms traditional crosswords into a competitive two-player word game. It adds tactical elements to the familiar crossword format, allowing you to challenge friends or random opponents. Enjoy a vast library of puzzles and engage with opponents through chat.

**Highlights:** Two-player competitive word game, Tactical game elements, Challenge friends or random opponents, Play over the net or locally, In-game chat, Over 200 high-quality crosswords

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Statistics | $1.99 | one-time |
| No ads for six months | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Fun competitive crosswords
- 💡 Great game concept
- 👍 Easy to learn UI
- 😊 Addictive and fun
- 👍 Good for brain exercise

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😠 Too many ads
- 😠 Ads are intrusive
- 😠 Ads are game breaking
- 😠 Subscription for ad-free
- 😠 Greedy IAP model

**Reported bugs**

- Notifications stopped working
- App crashes constantly
- No keyboard to type word after unlocking clue
- App not working with iOS 9

**Requested features**

- Option to force forfeit or extend game time
- More puzzles by 'Mark'
- Single player mode with normal crossword
- Option to start game with all clues revealed
- Pro version for ad removal


### Brain Wars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brain-wars/id845044428)

Engage in real-time competitive brain training against players worldwide. Solve simple puzzles to outscore opponents, climb global rankings, and challenge friends. Improve your mental concentration and adaptability through continuous, intuitive challenges suitable for all ages.

**Highlights:** Real-time global battles, Challenge friends, Worldwide rankings, Simple brain teasers, Intuitive training, Adaptable challenges

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Heal Heart | $0.99 | one-time |
| 20 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads Option | $3.99 | one-time |
| 50 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| 120 Coins | $11.99 | one-time |
| 240 Coins | $23.99 | one-time |
| 480 Coins | $47.99 | one-time |
| 750 Coins | $74.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging and competitive
- 🧠 Helps train the brain
- 👍 Fun and addictive
- 🌍 Ability to play against people worldwide

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 💰 Too many ads and in-app purchases
- 🤖 Matchmaking issues, playing against bots
- 🔌 Connectivity problems

**Reported bugs**

- Challenges not working properly
- Crashes when exiting ads
- Freezing and loading issues
- Incorrect scoring/stats updates

**Requested features**

- Offline practice mode
- Clearer explanation of ranking/scoring system
- More game variety
- Ability to challenge friends asynchronously


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cross Boss free?

Cross Boss is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Brain Wars free?

Brain Wars is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cross Boss or Brain Wars?

Brain Wars is rated higher. Cross Boss averages 4.2 out of 5 from 59 ratings, while Brain Wars averages 4.6 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Cross Boss or Brain Wars have ads?

Both Cross Boss and Brain Wars show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cross Boss or Brain Wars?

Cross Boss ships an update every 3 months, and Brain Wars every 6 weeks. Most recently, Cross Boss was updated on November 1, 2026 and Brain Wars on November 6, 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.*