# Cross Boss vs Crossly

The clearest difference is rating: Crossly at 5.0 against Cross Boss's 4.2. Crossly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (10 vs 15.6). Cross Boss's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 51%) and ratings volume (59 vs 1). On price, update cadence, 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 Crossly sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Crossly holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cross Boss has 59 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Cross Boss's written reviews are positive against 51% of Crossly'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, Crossly every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cross Boss | Crossly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cross-boss/id811255164/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossly/id871860021/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **59** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **74.6% of reviews** | 50.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 71 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **10** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [KEP Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/811255167) | [Mercury Intermedia, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300669006) |

## 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 |


### Crossly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossly/id871860021)

Engage in a strategic word game with friends, blending classic crosswords with competitive play. Earn points for correct answers, hinder opponents, and enjoy endless unique puzzles with interactive features like stealing turns and revealing letters.

**Highlights:** Endless unique crossword puzzles, Steal turns and send taunts, Peek at letters for difficult clues, Pencil in and change answers, Offline saving of penciled words, Premium mode with bonus peeks and themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Meh" Premium Upgrade | $0.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 5 Peeks | $0.99 | one-time |
| "It's Cool" Premium Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 15 Peeks | $1.99 | one-time |
| "LOVE" Premium Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 25 Peeks | $2.99 | one-time |
| Peek Pack - 100 Peeks | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Addictive gameplay
- 💡 Innovative blend of crossword and competition
- 👍 Fun and engaging for friends
- 🎨 Beautiful and fluid interface
- 🧠 Great mind jogger

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 Slow loading times
- 🧩 Obscure or nonsensical clues/answers
- 🇺🇸 Strong US bias in clues
- 📉 App abandonment concerns
- ❓ Puzzles lack cohesion

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently
- App won't load / spins forever
- Games disappear or are lost
- Notifications are broken / badge issues
- Rematch issues (wrong person)

**Requested features**

- iPad support
- UK version of the game
- Difficulty levels
- Chat feature
- Facebook integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cross Boss free?

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

### Is Crossly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cross Boss or Crossly?

Crossly is rated higher. Cross Boss averages 4.2 out of 5 from 59 ratings, while Crossly averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Cross Boss or Crossly have ads?

Cross Boss shows ads; Crossly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cross Boss or Crossly?

Cross Boss ships an update every 3 months, and Crossly every 5 months. Most recently, Cross Boss was updated on October 5, 2026 and Crossly on October 9, 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.*