Crosswords

Review by eFreeware

Most crossword apps hand you a fixed catalog of grids and call it a day. Crosswords, from Stand Alone, Inc., takes a different route: it pulls puzzles from newspapers around the world and refreshes them daily, so the supply keeps moving rather than sitting still. That daily rhythm is the most distinctive thing about it, and it shapes who the app is for.

If your idea of a good puzzle session is working through a fresh grid over coffee, or picking away at a themed puzzle on a quiet evening, this is built with you in mind. It costs $9.99 up front and carries no ads, which puts it in a different bracket from the free crossword apps that fill the store. The developer also offers in-app purchases.

Newspaper grids, delivered daily

The premise is straightforward. You download crossword puzzles from major newspapers and solve them on your phone, with new puzzles arriving every day. Over time that adds up to a broad mix of sources rather than the output of a single puzzle editor, which matters if you like variety in difficulty and style.

The developer keeps an FAQ page that lists which puzzles are supported, which is the sensible place to check before buying if a specific paper's crossword is what you are after. The app has been on Google Play since February 2010, and it was updated in March 2026, so this is not a project that was pushed out and forgotten.

It has more than 10,000 installs and a 4.1 average from 861 ratings, with 332 written reviews. Those numbers describe a modest but engaged audience rather than a mass-market hit, which fits a paid puzzle app aimed at people who already know they want newspaper crosswords.

How a solving session works

Hints are available when a clue refuses to crack, and clue listings let you scan the full set of clues. That support makes a difference on a Thursday or Saturday puzzle that is fighting back.

That combination is what the developer describes as the core of the experience: puzzles to download, hints when you need them, and clue listings to keep you oriented. It reads like an app built for people who want to actually finish the puzzle, not just poke at it for a few minutes.

I would treat the FAQ page as the place to answer those questions before committing. What is clear is that the app is a solver; the focus stays on the grids.

What brings solvers back

Daily availability is the main hook. A crossword habit works best when there is always a new grid waiting, and a library that refreshes each day supports that far better than a static collection you work through once. If you solve most days, the value of the app compounds; if you solve once a month, the daily stream matters less.

The range of sources is the second draw. Puzzles from major newspapers around the world mean the app can serve solvers who enjoy switching between styles, and the FAQ listing supported puzzles helps you confirm that your favorites are included. For someone who already buys a paper partly for the crossword, having that puzzle on a phone is the appeal.

The cost, plainly

Crosswords is a paid download at $9.99. There are no ads, and the developer also offers in-app purchases alongside the initial price. I would check the in-app store or the FAQ if knowing the full cost matters to you before buying.

Compared with free crossword apps, the up-front price is the trade you are making: pay once. Whether that is worth it depends on how often you solve.

A daily puzzle habit worth paying for

Crosswords is for the solver who wants newspaper puzzles arriving every day, with hints and clue listings close at hand, and who is willing to pay $9.99. The daily refresh and the spread of sources are the reasons to choose it over a one-off puzzle pack.

If you solve occasionally, or you are happy with whatever free app you already have, the price is harder to justify. But for a regular solver who wants a steady stream of grids from major papers, this looks like a well-established option, backed by years of updates and a solid 4.1 rating from 861 ratings. It is a focused tool for a specific habit, and it serves that habit well.