# Puzzle Day vs Crossword Chef

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Puzzle Day at none against Crossword Chef's 8. Puzzle Day also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Crossword Chef's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (99 vs 11). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Crossword Chef sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Puzzle Day asks for nothing beyond the download.

Crossword Chef holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Crossword Chef has 99 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Puzzle Day's written reviews are positive against 94% of Crossword Chef's.

Puzzle Day ships an update weekly, Crossword Chef every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Puzzle Day | Crossword Chef |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-day/id982328362/reviews) | **[4.8 (99 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-chef-mini-to-mega/id6504644427/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **99** |
| Positive reviews | 88.9% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 147 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Simple Machine, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/440559596) | [Siddhant Mehta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1644783962) |

## What reviewers say

### Puzzle Day

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/puzzle-day/id982328362)

Discover a growing collection of unique, bite-sized puzzles added weekly. Enjoy daily challenges, quick gameplay, and no account required. Support the developer by watching ads.

**Highlights:** Unique daily and weekly puzzles, Multiple puzzle types (Numby, Pathwords, Burbs, Hoots), Daily challenge mode, No account or login required, Quick and satisfying gameplay, New puzzles added regularly

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Crossword Chef

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crossword-chef-mini-to-mega/id6504644427)

Engage in daily mini crossword puzzles with a clean, ad-free interface. Track your progress, compete with friends, and explore a collection of puzzles. Learn fun facts after each solve.

**Highlights:** Daily mini crossword puzzles, Ad-free and clutter-free design, Friend leaderboards and competition, Puzzle archives and solving history, Streak tracking and performance stats, Midi puzzles and crossword packs, Learn fun facts after solving

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Puzzle Day free?

Puzzle Day is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Crossword Chef free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Puzzle Day or Crossword Chef?

Crossword Chef is rated higher. Puzzle Day averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Crossword Chef averages 4.8 from 99 ratings.

### Do Puzzle Day or Crossword Chef have ads?

Neither Puzzle Day nor Crossword Chef shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Puzzle Day or Crossword Chef?

Puzzle Day ships an update weekly, and Crossword Chef every 10 days. Most recently, Puzzle Day was updated on August 14, 2026 and Crossword Chef on September 23, 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.*