# Crossword vs Lumen

The clearest difference is ads: Lumen at none against Crossword's shown. Lumen also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (daily vs every 6 weeks). Crossword's advantage is ratings volume (43K vs 1) and chart position (#190 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Lumen sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Lumen holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword has 43K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Crossword ships an update every 6 weeks, Lumen daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Crossword | Lumen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-by-puzzlingcom/id859866568/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumen-relaxing-loop-puzzle/id6786082033/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 484 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AppyNation Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/488094583) | [Super, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/439129974) |

## What reviewers say

### Crossword

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-by-puzzlingcom/id859866568)

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Grossing · Word (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coins Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coin Doubler | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Starter Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Coins Booster Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Booster Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Super Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Super Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coins Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tokens Mega Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coins Ultra Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Lumen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumen-relaxing-loop-puzzle/id6786082033)

A serene logic puzzle game where you draw a single continuous loop through a grid, guided by white and black pearls. Enjoy a calming experience with no timers or pressure, featuring daily puzzles and a beautiful visual style.

**Highlights:** Daily hand-crafted puzzles, Hundreds of puzzles, Relaxing visual style, Smart hints, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lumen Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Crossword free?

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

### Is Lumen free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Crossword or Lumen?

Lumen is rated higher. Crossword averages 4.5 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while Lumen averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Crossword or Lumen have ads?

Crossword shows ads; Lumen does not.

### Which is updated more often, Crossword or Lumen?

Crossword ships an update every 6 weeks, and Lumen daily. Most recently, Crossword was updated on October 30, 2026 and Lumen on October 28, 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.*