Eurogamer’s praise of the Pokecryptic crossword puzzle pulled a lot of us back to a habit we had let lapse: the daily grid. The crossword is a famously sticky daily-driver app, and the seven crossword puzzle apps for Android below cover the spectrum, from the prestige NYT subscription to the free time-killer that fills any waiting room.
What to look for in a crossword app on Android
Five things matter:
- Daily versus library. Daily puzzles keep the streak going. A library lets you binge a backlog on a flight.
- Difficulty curve. Monday-easy through Saturday-themeless is the NYT standard. Some apps ship a single difficulty that gets boring quickly.
- Hint system. A check-letter, reveal-letter, and reveal-word ladder is the right design. Anything that punishes a single check with full puzzle reset is hostile.
- Subscription tail. The major newspapers gate the back catalogue behind a recurring fee. Free apps trade ads for that money.
- Theme mix. Cryptic, themed, themeless, and quick crosswords suit different attention spans. Pick the format you actually finish.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Subscription | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The New York Times Crossword | Prestige daily puzzle | Mini (free) | NYT Games | Themed and themeless |
| CodyCross | Themed crossword adventure | Yes (with ads) | Optional removal | Themed |
| Crosswords With Friends | Casual daily with friends | Yes (with ads) | Optional removal | Casual themed |
| 7 Little Words | Word-puzzle hybrid | Yes (limited) | Daily packs | Anagram clue |
| Daily Themed Crossword | Free themed daily | Yes (with ads) | Optional removal | Themed |
| LA Times Crossword | Newspaper-grade daily | Yes (today’s puzzle) | LA Times Games | Themed and themeless |
| Crossword Puzzle Free | Old-school free library | Yes (with ads) | None | Classic |
The apps
1. The New York Times Crossword, the prestige pick
The New York Times Crossword is the daily that made the format. The app ships the Mini for free, and the full daily plus the archive sits behind the NYT Games subscription. The difficulty progression from Monday to Saturday is the gold standard, the Sunday is a 21x21 themed puzzle, and the back catalogue runs decades.
The companion games (Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections, Strands) bundle into the same subscription, so the per-game cost is small if you also play the others.
Where it falls short: the full daily and archive require the NYT Games subscription. Cryptic fans need to look elsewhere.
Pricing:
- Free: Mini daily.
- Paid: NYT Games subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Bottom line: the right pick if you want the daily that other apps measure themselves against.
2. CodyCross, the themed adventure
CodyCross is the crossword with a story attached. Each pack is a themed world (Planet Earth, Inventions, Medieval Times) and each puzzle is a small set of clues that fill across a grid in sequence. The format is gentler than a NYT and the progression hooks the same brain reward as a casual mobile game.
The free path covers the entire Planet Earth pack with ads. Subsequent worlds unlock through coins earned in-game or a one-off purchase per world.
Where it falls short: ad load on the free tier is high. The themed format gets repetitive if you binge.
Pricing:
- Free with ads.
- Paid: optional ad removal and world unlocks.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Bottom line: the right pick when you want a story arc with your crossword.
3. Crosswords With Friends, the casual daily
Crosswords With Friends is the Zynga daily that aims for accessible rather than themeless-cryptic. The grids are smaller than a full newspaper crossword, the clues lean on pop culture, and the daily theme keeps the puzzle fresh. Scoring counts speed and accuracy, which adds a competitive nudge if you play with people you know.
The format is the right shape for fitting a puzzle into a coffee break.
Where it falls short: clue depth is shallow if you have spent years on the NYT. Ads interrupt the play loop on the free tier.
Pricing:
- Free with ads.
- Paid: optional ad removal subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: the right pick when you want a quick daily and a leaderboard.
4. 7 Little Words, the anagram hybrid
7 Little Words is a word puzzle that adjusts the crossword formula: the clue gives you the meaning, and the answer assembles from a tile bank of letter chunks. The result is a faster solving feel and a lower difficulty floor than a full grid. Each daily ships seven clues, and the back catalogue runs to thousands of packs.
It is a good gateway puzzle for someone who finds a full crossword intimidating.
Where it falls short: purists will not see this as a real crossword. Most additional puzzle packs are paid.
Pricing:
- Free: daily plus a starter pack.
- Paid: additional puzzle packs.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: the right pick when a full crossword feels like too much commitment.
5. Daily Themed Crossword, the free themed daily
Daily Themed Crossword is the free counterweight to the New York Times subscription model. A new themed grid every day, a back catalogue you can dig into, and a difficulty that sits between casual and serious solver. Hints follow the standard letter-word ladder.
The trade is a busy free tier and an upsell to remove ads or unlock packs.
Where it falls short: the editorial standard is below the major newspapers. Ad load can be heavy if you do not subscribe.
Pricing:
- Free with ads.
- Paid: optional ad removal.
Platforms: Android, iOS.
Bottom line: the right pick if you want a daily themed crossword without paying a newspaper.
6. LA Times Crossword, the second prestige paper
LA Times Crossword is the other major US paper crossword on Android. Today’s puzzle is free, the back catalogue and the full daily archive sit behind LA Times Games. The voice is slightly looser than the NYT and the constructors rotate weekly, which makes the difficulty harder to predict.
For solvers who want a second daily that does not just clone the NYT, it is the right second app.
Where it falls short: the back catalogue and full daily need the subscription. The app design is dated compared to the NYT app.
Pricing:
- Free: today’s puzzle.
- Paid: LA Times Games subscription.
Platforms: Android, iOS, web.
Bottom line: the right pick as a second daily next to the NYT.
7. Crossword Puzzle Free, the old-school library
Crossword Puzzle Free is the no-frills app for the back-pocket free puzzle. The library is enormous, the difficulty levels range from easy to hard, and the format is the classic American grid. The ad load funds the cost, and there is no subscription gate at all on the puzzle library itself.
It is the right closer for the list because it covers the readers who do not want a daily, a streak, or a story, just a crossword to fill ten minutes.
Where it falls short: clue editing is variable. Theme variety is shallow.
Pricing:
- Free with ads.
Platforms: Android.
Bottom line: the right pick when all you want is a crossword without paperwork.
How to pick the right one
If you want the prestige daily, install The New York Times Crossword and pay for NYT Games.
If you want a themed adventure, install CodyCross.
If you want a casual daily with leaderboards, install Crosswords With Friends.
If a full crossword feels heavy, install 7 Little Words.
If you want a free themed daily without a paper, install Daily Themed Crossword.
If you want a second prestige daily next to the NYT, install LA Times Crossword.
If you want a no-strings free library, install Crossword Puzzle Free.
FAQ
What is the best free crossword app for Android?
Daily Themed Crossword is the strongest free pick for daily play. Crossword Puzzle Free is the strongest pick for an offline library with no streak commitment.
Is the New York Times Crossword worth the subscription?
If you solve daily, yes. The NYT Games bundle pairs the crossword with Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections, and Strands at a single fee, which lowers the per-game cost significantly.
What is the easiest crossword app for beginners?
7 Little Words and CodyCross both have gentler ramp-ups than a full crossword. NYT Mondays are also famously the easiest of the daily papers’ grids.
Can I play crosswords on Android without ads?
Yes. The NYT Crossword and LA Times Crossword paid tiers ship ad-free. CodyCross, Crosswords With Friends, and Daily Themed Crossword all sell ad removal as a one-off or a subscription.
Are there any cryptic crossword apps for Android?
The Guardian and Times cryptic puzzles are available through their respective newspaper apps and websites. Dedicated mobile apps for cryptic-only solving are thin on the Play Store.
