Comparison

Crossword vs Crossword+

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

Head to head
About

Crossword

Engage your mind with a vast collection of crossword puzzles and word games. Solve thousands of clues, complete daily challenges, and collect trophies across multiple game modes. Enjoy a new puzzle experience every day with this extensive library of brain-teasing fun.

Highlights
  • Thousands of unique clues
  • Hundreds of original puzzles
  • Daily themed puzzles
  • World's Biggest and Tallest crosswords
  • Multiple game modes (Cryptogram, Codewords, Word Grid)
  • Trophies, quests, and achievements
  • Timed events
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Solve thousands of clues in the biggest and best crossword puzzle ever! Now you can enjoy a new crossword challenge every day with this giant collection of hundreds of original puzzles. There are over 100,000 unique clues to solve as well as dozens of quests to complete and trophies to collect! Choose from TWELVE game modes: ■ DAILY THEMED PUZZLE Enjoy a new crossword each day, featuring clues linked to a trivia fact about today's date that's revealed on completion! ■ WORLD'S BIGGEST Crossword Explore over 2,800 crossword puzzles. The classic puzzle enjoyed by millions of players worldwide. ■ WORLD'S TALLEST Crossword A collection of 1,100 extra-large puzzles - bigger grids, longer words, tougher clues! How high can you build the tower? ■ DAILY DIAMOND Crossword Earn extra rewards with a snack-sized bonus puzzle each day. ■ SEVEN WORDS Puzzle Solve the clues and use the scrambled letter blocks to find 7 hidden words. ■ CRYPTOGRAM Puzzle Break the code, reveal the quote! ■ CODEWORDS Puzzle Decipher the code to complete the crossword grid. Each square is marked with a number corresponding with one letter of the alphabet. Look for patterns and use your powers of deduction to crack the code! ■ WORD GRID Puzzle Slide the tiles from the edge of the grid into the blank squares to spell out words. Unlike a regular crossword, there are no clues so instead you'll have to use logic to choose between the available letters for each square. ■ QUOTE FALLS Puzzle Place the letter tiles from each column into the correct squares on the grid to spell out a famous quotation! ■ BRITISH CRYPTICS Crossword The ultimate challenge - cryptic crosswords use their own obscure rules to hide the answer in the clue, using anagrams, double meanings, and a host of other subtle tricks. If you get completely stumped on a clue, you can swap it out for an easier, non-cryptic alternative. ■ FACT OF THE DAY Curious facts to puzzle the mind! ■ MISSING LETTERS Solve the curious conundrum, reveal the word. Also look out for special timed events! Complete all the core challenges to earn the title of Crossword Superstar! + Solve all 100,000+ clues + Complete all 11,000+ puzzles + Collect all 45 trophies + Complete all 57 quests + Unlock all 10 achievements SUPPORT Please select the [HELP] option from the Pause Menu (the gear icon at the top-right of the game screen) if you require assistance. If you require further assistance or are unable to access the in-game help, you can contact us via email: support@puzzling.com Crossword is free to play, but contains optional paid items to unlock content more quickly. LATEST NEWS www.puzzling.com facebook.com/getpuzzling bsky.app/profile/puzzling.com

About

Crossword+

Start your day with two new themed crossword puzzles daily, ranging from classic literature to movie magic. Enjoy a satisfying yet gentle challenge, with helpful hints and auto-check features. Solve puzzles offline and adjust text size for a comfortable, ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Two new themed puzzles daily
  • Over 3,000 puzzles in archive
  • Helpful hints and AutoCheck
  • Offline play supported
  • Ad-free experience
  • Adjustable text size
Features
Read full description

Start your day with a crossword and a smile! Whether you’re a novice solver or a seasoned veteran, we’ve designed Crossword+ so that players of all abilities can enjoy solving our crosswords! We release new crosswords every day and every single crossword in the app has a unique theme. For example, Monday’s crossword is music related, and Friday’s crossword is movie related. Even if you don’t know anything about the topic, you’ll still be attempt the crossword as the theme words are sprinkled into the crossword among other clues. So look forward to testing and expanding your knowledge of movies, music, food, books and much, much more! Why Crossword+? * Two new themed puzzles every single day (one maxi and one mini) * Over 3,000 puzzles in our ever-growing collection * Helpful hints when you need a little extra help * Catches mistakes as you type with our AutoCheck function * 100% ad-free. Just you and the puzzle * Works offline * Adjustable text size for readability Join over 500,000 solvers who've made Crossword Plus part of their routine. Is Crossword+ good for beginners? Yes! Crossword+ is designed for solvers of all abilities. Start with our daily mini crosswords, make use of instant error checking, and use hints whenever you're stuck. We aim to make our clues challenging enough to be satisfying, but accessible enough to keep you moving forward. How does it compare to other crossword apps? We designed Crossword Plus to be simple, intuitive, and accessible to everyone. While there are many excellent crossword apps available, we focus on delivering a clean, distraction-free solving experience that feels natural. Is every puzzle themed? Yes! Every single crossword in Crossword+ is built around a unique theme. What kinds of themes do you feature? Everything from Trivia Delights and Hollywood Hits to Tasty Treats and beyond! With over 3,000 themed puzzles in our archive, there’s lots to explore and new topics every day. Can I use Crossword+ offline? Yes! Download puzzles and solve them anywhere! On planes, trains, or wherever your internet connection isn't reliable. Do you have free crossword puzzles? We publish a new free 5×5 mini crossword every day. We offer a subscription which gives you access to full-size maxi puzzles and our extensive archive. Does Crossword+ have ads? No. We're ad-free. Is Crossword+ good for seniors? Yes! The app automatically respects your device's text size settings. Additionally, you can zoom in on any puzzle grid for additional magnification. Can crosswords help with vocabulary? Definitely. Regular crossword solving strengthens vocabulary, reinforces spelling, and improves word recall. All while having fun. Is this an American or British crossword? Both! We use vocabulary and spelling that works for solvers on both sides of the Atlantic, making our puzzles accessible to a global audience. Does Crossword Plus include easy and hard crossword puzzles? We focus on a single, balanced difficulty level that appeals to most solvers. You can make puzzles easier or more challenging by toggling hints and assistance features on or off. Can I use Crossword+ for quick puzzles? Perfect for it! Our daily 5×5 mini crossword is designed for a quick mental break which is ideal when you just want a few minutes of crossword fun. Does Crossword+ offer hints or help with clues? Yes! Every clue comes with an optional hint to nudge you in the right direction. Fair warning: using a hint adds 30 seconds to your completion time. LICENSED APPLICATION END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Crossword4 screens
Crossword+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Crossword+ at none against Crossword's shown. Crossword+ also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 6 weeks) and review sentiment (83% vs 69%). Crossword's advantage is ratings volume (43K vs 11K) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Crossword sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Crossword+ sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Crossword against 4.5 for Crossword+. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43K and 11K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Crossword's written reviews are positive against 83% of Crossword+'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Crossword ships an update every 6 weeks, Crossword+ every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Crossword versus Crossword+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrosswordCrossword+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (43K ratings)4.5 (11K ratings)
Positive reviews68.8% of reviews83.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43K — better11K
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#192#164 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size484 MB47 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAppyNation Ltd.PuzzleStar Limited

Customer experience

Crossword

All ratings43,291 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral6.9%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews480 reviews
Positive68.8%
Neutral13.1%
Negative18.1%

Crossword+

All ratings11,385 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral6.9%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews511 reviews
Positive83.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative12.7%

User reviews

Crossword

From 43K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Entertaining and user-friendly
  • 🧠 Educational and practical
  • 🤔 Challenging but not too difficult
  • 🕰️ Good for passing time

Room to improve

  • 💰 Tokens/coins required to play more puzzles
  • 📺 Excessive ads that interrupt gameplay
  • 🇬🇧 Some clues use British slang/terms
  • 🔁 Repetitive use of same words in puzzles

Crossword+

From 11K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🧠 Brain-stimulating puzzles
  • 🎯 Variety of themes and difficulty levels
  • ✨ Enjoyable and challenging experience
  • 🧠 Helps keep the mind active
  • 🕰️ Daily puzzles provide a routine activity

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model can be expensive
  • 🐛 Occasional errors in puzzle clues or answers
  • 🤔 Some puzzles may be too difficult for casual users
  • 🕰️ Limited number of free puzzles per month

Bugs and requests

Crossword

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes after updates
  • Inconsistent behavior with token/coin rewards
  • Clues/answers not matching properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow exchanging coins for tokens
  • Provide more tokens/coins for completing puzzles
  • Add option to view past completed puzzles
  • Improve navigation and reduce interruptions

Crossword+

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Freezing or crashing issues for some users
  • Subscription not always working as expected

Requested features

3 requests
  • Search function to find puzzles by topic
  • More difficulty levels to cater to all skill levels
  • Ability to track progress and stats over time

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Crossword

One-time11
  • Coins Starter Pack$0.99
  • Coin Doubler$0.99
  • Remove Ads$0.99
Show 8 more
  • Tokens Starter Pack$0.99
  • Coins Booster Pack$2.99
  • Tokens Booster Pack$2.99
  • Coins Super Pack$4.99
  • Tokens Super Pack$4.99
  • Coins Mega Pack$9.99
  • Tokens Mega Pack$9.99
  • Coins Ultra Pack$19.99
8 purchases

Crossword+

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Monthly$7.491 Month
  • Monthly$9.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Yearly1 Year trial$37.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$37.991 Year
  • Yearly1 Year trial2 variants$39.991 Year
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is Crossword free?
Crossword is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Crossword+ free?
Crossword+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Crossword or Crossword+?
Crossword and Crossword+ are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 43K and 11K ratings respectively.
Do Crossword or Crossword+ have ads?
Crossword shows ads; Crossword+ does not.
Which is updated more often, Crossword or Crossword+?
Crossword ships an update every 6 weeks, and Crossword+ every 10 days. Most recently, Crossword was updated on September 24, 2026 and Crossword+ on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Crossword or Crossword+?
Crossword currently peaks at #192 in the App Store charts, and Crossword+ at #164. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons