The crossword puzzle has been a daily ritual since Arthur Wynne published the first one in the New York World in 1913. Over a century later, crosswords are more popular than ever — and the digital versions have made them accessible to a whole new generation.
1. NYT Crossword
Developer: The New York Times | Released: App launched 2014
Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy (Monday) to extremely hard (Saturday) | Price: NYT Games subscription (~$6/month)
The gold standard. Will Shortz has edited the NYT Crossword since 1993, and the daily difficulty curve from Monday (accessible) to Saturday (brutal) is one of the most elegant design systems in puzzle gaming. The Mini crossword (5x5) is free and takes about a minute. Over 10 million subscribers as part of the NYT Games bundle.
2. LA Times Crossword
Developer: Los Angeles Times | Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to hard | Price: Free
Widely considered the best free daily crossword. The difficulty curve mirrors the NYT's Monday-through-Saturday progression with consistently high puzzle quality. For players who want a daily crossword habit without a subscription, this is the answer.
3. The Guardian Crossword
Developer: The Guardian | Platforms: Web (free, no account required)
Difficulty: Varies by type | Price: Free
Multiple crossword types daily: Quick (standard), Cryptic (British-style wordplay), Prize (weekend challenge), and Quiptic (accessible cryptic for beginners). For players wanting to learn cryptic crosswords — where clues contain hidden wordplay and double meanings — the Quiptic is the best starting point anywhere.
4. Crossword Explorer
Developer: PlaySimple Games | Released: 2019
Platforms: iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to medium | Price: Free (ads + IAP)
A mobile-first crossword with themed puzzles, daily challenges, and a world-travel progression system. Over 10 million downloads. Bridges the gap between traditional crosswords and casual mobile gaming with simpler clues and smaller grids.
5. CodyCross
Developer: Fanatee | Released: 2017
Platforms: iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to medium | Price: Free (ads + IAP)
Crossword puzzles wrapped in an adventure game: an alien explores themed worlds, and each level is a crossword built around that world's theme. Over 50 million downloads. Clues are trivia-based rather than wordplay-based, appealing to a different audience than traditional crosswords.
6. Shortyz Crosswords
Developer: Robert Cooper (open source) | Released: 2011
Platforms: Android only
Difficulty: Varies | Price: Free (no ads)
An open-source aggregator that pulls free crosswords from dozens of publishers — USA Today, The Atlantic, Newsday, and more — into one clean interface. The crossword enthusiast's secret weapon: one app, dozens of daily puzzles, zero fees.
7. Crossword Jam
Developer: Jam City | Released: 2018
Platforms: iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy | Price: Free (ads + IAP)
Swipe letter tiles to fill in a small crossword grid. No clues — just the grid and a set of letters. This hybrid format is enormously popular with casual players who find traditional crossword clues daunting.
8. Puzzazz
Developer: Puzzazz Inc. | Released: 2012
Platforms: iOS, Web
Difficulty: Medium to hard | Price: Free app; puzzle books $2–$5 each
A premium platform selling curated puzzle books from top constructors. Beautiful interface, high-quality puzzles, and a pay-per-book model with no ads or subscriptions. For serious solvers who want quality over quantity.
9. USA Today Crossword
Developer: USA Today / Andrews McMeel | Platforms: Web, iOS, Android
Difficulty: Easy to medium | Price: Free
Another excellent free daily crossword. USA Today's puzzles are generally easier than the NYT's, making them a good entry point for beginners. The web version requires no login and loads quickly — ideal for a quick puzzle break.
10. Crossword Forge
Developer: Sol Robots | Platforms: PC, Mac, Web
Difficulty: N/A (construction tool) | Price: $20–$50
Not a game to play, but a tool to make your own crosswords. If solving puzzles has made you curious about building them, this is where constructors start. Making a crossword is surprisingly addictive — and gives you a new appreciation for the puzzles you solve.
Quick Guide
| If you want... | Try... |
|---|---|
| The gold standard | NYT Crossword |
| Best free daily | LA Times |
| Learn cryptic crosswords | The Guardian (Quiptic) |
| Casual mobile | CodyCross or Crossword Explorer |
| Dozens of free puzzles | Shortyz (Android) |
| Make your own | Crossword Forge |
Enjoy word puzzles? Try Pairdle — a daily word game that tests logic instead of vocabulary.
By Tim Nye, Logic Loft Games