Best Crossword Alternative Apps & Games

215+ iOS apps & games curated and reviewed

4.5 avg rating
19 free apps & games
Updated June 2026

Every iPhone needs a few good crossword alternative apps and games. We benchmark 215+ of them on App Store rating, freshness, and pricing, then surface the standouts so you don't have to scroll the App Store yourself.

Compare top Crossword Alternative Apps & Games (June 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1Crossword Puzzle RedstoneCrossword Puzzle RedstoneFree4.8★ (113K)YesYesJul 2026
2Crossword LightCrossword LightFree3.0★ (54)YesYesMay 2026
3Crossword Puzzle UniverseCrossword Puzzle UniverseFree4.6★ (9.8K)YesYesJul 2026
4Daily Themed Crossword PuzzlesDaily Themed Crossword PuzzlesFree4.7★ (124K)YesYesJul 2026
5Crossword ChallengeCrossword ChallengeFree4.7★ (16K)YesYesJul 2026
6Crossword - Word HikeCrossword - Word HikeFree4.8★ (69K)YesYesJul 2026
7Crossword Clue SolverCrossword Clue SolverFree4.8★ (14K)YesYesJul 2026
8Crossword Quiz - Word Puzzles!Crossword Quiz - Word Puzzles!Free4.6★ (9.8K)YesYesJul 2026

Top Picks for Crossword Alternative

Crossword Puzzle Redstone#1

Crossword Puzzle Redstone by REDSTONE GAMES LTDA

Crossword lovers dream app
Editor's Choice
🎮 Games
4.8😊(113K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Crossword Puzzle Redstone screenshot 1
Crossword Puzzle Redstone screenshot 2
Crossword Puzzle Redstone screenshot 3
Crossword Puzzle Redstone screenshot 4
Crossword Puzzle Redstone screenshot 5
Crossword Puzzle Redstone screenshot 6

Solve thousands of free crossword puzzles with various difficulty levels and themes. Enjoy a polished interface, smart hints, and offline play. Improve your vocabulary and challenge yourself daily with puzzles from top constructors.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great crosswords
  • 👍 Lots of choices
  • 👍 Enjoyable experience
  • 👍 Free with optional ad-free version

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Incorrect answers
  • 🐛 Repeating words/clues
  • 🐛 Spelling/grammar issues
Crossword Light#2

Crossword Light by Stand Alone, Inc.

Crosswords to go!
Strong Contender
🎮 Games
3.0(54 ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Crossword Light screenshot 1
Crossword Light screenshot 2

Solve daily crossword puzzles from various newspapers on your mobile device. Get hints, view clues, and track your progress. This light version includes 40 puzzles, with more available in the full version.

Crossword Puzzle Universe#3

Crossword Puzzle Universe by FBIG CORPORATION LTD

Relax playing Crossword puzzle
Worth Considering
🎮 Games
4.6😊(9.8K ratings)
FreeAdsIn-App Purchases
Crossword Puzzle Universe screenshot 1
Crossword Puzzle Universe screenshot 2
Crossword Puzzle Universe screenshot 3
Crossword Puzzle Universe screenshot 4
Crossword Puzzle Universe screenshot 5

Engage in challenging American-style grid crossword puzzles with fresh content added monthly. Perfect for all skill levels, this app offers a fun way to expand vocabulary and sharpen your mind. Enjoy daily themes, rewards, and a zoom feature for an enhanced experience.

What We Love

  • 💡 Keeps brain active
  • 👍 Great game
  • 👍 Challenging and enjoyable
  • 👍 Fun way to pass time

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Spelling mistakes in puzzles
  • 🐛 Incorrect answers
  • 🐛 Freezing/crashing issues

More Crossword Alternative apps to explore

4
Daily Themed Crossword Puzzles
Daily Themed Crossword Puzzles
Daily Themed Crossword Puzzles
Fun New Crossword Every Day!
Free

Engage your mind with daily themed crossword puzzles. Enjoy a new puzzle every day, covering diverse topics like movies, sports, and technology. Improve vocabulary and general knowledge while having fun.

New themed puzzle dailyHundreds of puzzles availableHints for difficult words
🎮 Games
(124K)
free with in-app purchases
5
Crossword Challenge
Crossword Challenge
Crossword Challenge
Picture Crossword Game
Free

Engage in a daily brain-training crossword game with unique picture clues. Enjoy modern gameplay, daily challenges with rewards, and compete in weekly tournaments. Perfect for word puzzle enthusiasts looking for mental exercise and fun.

Brain-training crossword puzzlesPicture clue gameplayDaily mini levels with city badges
🎮 Games
(16K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Crossword - Word Hike
Crossword - Word Hike
Crossword - Word Hike
Daily Themed Puzzle and Logic
Free

Embark on a free crossword puzzle adventure that challenges your vocabulary and logic. Solve a vast array of puzzles, learn new words, and enjoy a dynamic experience with an intuitive interface. Play anytime, anywhere, even offline.

Engaging crossword puzzlesDynamic puzzle experienceLearn new vocabulary
🎮 Games
(69K)
free with in-app purchases
7
Crossword Clue Solver
Crossword Clue Solver
Crossword Clue Solver
The best Crossword Solver
Free

This app helps you solve crossword puzzles by searching for words based on clues or patterns. It offers a simple, quick, and effective way to overcome challenging word puzzles, requiring an internet connection to maintain an up-to-date wordlist.

Search by clueSearch by patternUp-to-date wordlist
🔍 Reference
(14K)
free with in-app purchases
8
Crossword Quiz - Word Puzzles!
Crossword Quiz - Word Puzzles!
Crossword Quiz - Word Puzzles!
Crossword Puzzle Word Games!
Free

This app offers a fresh take on classic crossword puzzles, incorporating word descriptions, emoji combinations, and photos as clues. Earn coins to use for hints like revealing letters or solving puzzles, or unlock all categories with a subscription.

Multiple clue types (descriptions, emojis, photos)Earnable in-game coins for hintsHint options: expose letter, remove letters, solve puzzle
🎮 Games
(9.8K)
free with in-app purchases
9
Crosswords With Friends
Crosswords With Friends
Crosswords With Friends
A new crossword puzzle daily!
Free

Engage your mind with daily crossword puzzles featuring themes from current entertainment, pop culture, and sports. Compete with friends, earn rewards, and access a vast archive of puzzles. Offers mini and midi puzzles alongside themed daily challenges.

Daily themed crossword puzzlesMini and midi puzzlesLeaderboard competition with friends
🎮 Games
(62K)
free with in-app purchases
10
Crossword Explorer+
Crossword Explorer+
Crossword Explorer+
Daily Trivia Crossword Puzzles
Free

Engage your mind with daily crossword puzzles and trivia. Access thousands of puzzles with new themes each day to expand your vocabulary and general knowledge. Play anytime, anywhere on your iOS device.

Daily new puzzlesThousands of puzzles availableVariety of daily themes
🎮 Games
(1.4K)
free
11
USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords
USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords
USA TODAY PLAY Crosswords
Crossword, Sudoku & More
Free

Engage your mind daily with a variety of popular puzzles including crosswords, sudoku, and quick challenges. Track your progress, access a vast archive of past puzzles, and utilize hints to overcome difficult clues. Enjoy a personalized and engaging puzzle-solving experience.

Daily crossword puzzlesSudoku challengesQuick Cross puzzles
🎮 Games
(9.3K)
free with in-app purchases
12
Classic Crossword Puzzles
Classic Crossword Puzzles
Classic Crossword Puzzles
Play American Crosswords
Free

Engage with classic American crossword puzzles designed for all skill levels. Choose from six grid sizes and utilize helpful features like error display and hints to solve word challenges. Track your progress and compete on leaderboards.

Six grid sizes for all abilitiesDisplay errors for incorrect wordsShow word hints
🎮 Games
(6.7K)
free with in-app purchases
13
Crossword - by puzzling.com
Crossword - by puzzling.com
Crossword - by puzzling.com
The World's Biggest Puzzle
Free

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.

Thousands of unique cluesHundreds of original puzzlesDaily themed puzzles
🎮 Games
(43K)
free with in-app purchases
14
Clean Crosswords
Clean Crosswords
Clean Crosswords
1,800 Crossword Puzzles
Free

Enjoy a classic crossword experience designed for iOS devices. This app offers 1,800 puzzles with clues directly in the grid for easy viewing and play. It provides weeks of challenging fun in a clean, British English format.

1,800 crossword puzzlesClues in puzzle gridClassic British English
🎮 Games
(1.9K)
free with in-app purchases
15
Crossword Go!
Crossword Go!
Crossword Go!
A new fast-paced word battle
Free

Engage in thrilling, real-time crossword duels against opponents. Train your brain, expand your vocabulary, and strategize to outscore others. Enjoy daily challenges with word and picture clues for a dynamic word game experience.

Real-time crossword duelsVocabulary and strategy trainingWord and picture clues
🎮 Games
(71K)
free with in-app purchases
16
Crosswords Classic
Crosswords Classic
Crosswords Classic
by Stand Alone, Inc.
$9.99

Play daily crossword puzzles from various newspapers directly on your device. Download new puzzles, get hints, track your progress, and even sync with a Mac version. Offers a vast library of puzzles and competitive features.

Daily puzzle downloadsHints and clue lookupsSolve time tracking
🎮 Games
(73)
free with in-app purchases
17
Arrow Crosswords
Arrow Crosswords
Arrow Crosswords
Strategic Crossword Harmony
Free

A strategic, turn-based crossword game for two players. It features visual clues and a unique Scandinavian-inspired design where clues are placed directly in the squares. Players compete to outscore each other by strategically placing letter tiles and forming words.

Two-player competitive gameplayVisual clues and pictoral hintsTurn-based strategic tile placement
🎮 Games
(4.6K)
free with in-app purchases
18
Zen Math Crossword
Zen Math Crossword
Zen Math Crossword
Math Crossword
Free

Engage your mind with a unique puzzle game that combines arithmetic challenges with crossword-style grids. Solve equations, work with fractions, and master various math operations to complete the puzzles. This game makes learning and practicing math enjoyable for all ages.

Arithmetic and fraction puzzlesCrossword-style grid challengesSkill enhancement for logic and math
🎮 Games
(5.6K)
free with in-app purchases
19
Penny Dell Daily Crossword
Penny Dell Daily Crossword
Penny Dell Daily Crossword
3 Daily Puzzles! Fun & Easy!
Free

Engage your mind with three free daily crossword puzzles of varying difficulty. Access over 10,000 additional puzzles offline, with optional hints and smart solving features. Enjoy a fun and challenging way to exercise your cognitive skills.

Three free daily crosswordsEasy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levelsOffline puzzle access
🎮 Games
(8.9K)
free with in-app purchases
20
Bonza Word Puzzle
Bonza Word Puzzle
Bonza Word Puzzle
A new type of crossword
Free

This app offers a unique crossword experience by blending word search, jigsaw puzzles, and trivia. Solve daily puzzles created by the community or design your own to challenge friends. It's a fresh take on word challenges for puzzle enthusiasts.

Daily community-created puzzlesCustom puzzle creatorChallenge friends with custom puzzles
🎮 Games
(9.2K)
free with in-app purchases

FAQ about Crossword Alternative

What are the best crossword alternative apps & games for iPhone?
Crossword Puzzle Redstone tops our crossword alternative apps & games ranking as of June 2026, with a 4.8-star average from 113K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 19 of the top crossword alternative apps & games we rank are free to download, including Crossword Puzzle Redstone and Crossword Light.
Crossword Puzzle Redstone shows ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of June 2026.
We track 215+ crossword alternative apps & games on the iOS App Store as of June 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
Crossword Puzzle Redstone is a mobile application that offers a vast collection of free crossword puzzles. It provides a smooth solving experience with features like smart hints, difficulty levels, and offline access, making it ideal for daily brain training and vocabulary improvement.
The app boasts thousands of free puzzles from various constructors, including NYT-style crosswords. Key features include four difficulty levels, themed and themeless options, smart look-up for word suggestions, dark mode for comfortable viewing, and offline play. It also offers helpful tools like showing and clearing errors.