Last updated on January 19th, 2026 at 02:35 am
Across Lite Crosswords – Word Game Review
Across Lite Crosswords is a Word/Puzzle/Education game from Literate Software LLC, first launched in 21st December 2011.
It’s rated 4+ and currently has 5,039+ ratings on the App Store.
What Makes Across Lite Crosswords Stand Out
TL;DR: The app for unlimited solving of crosswords published online for Across Lite by major publishers and renowned authors.
Across Lite is hand-crafted with an eye for detail that only people who love both software and crosswords can create. Version 4 is state-of-the-art in features and aesthetics.
Since 1995, more crosswords are published for Across Lite than any other format. Loyal users have enjoyed our software for decades. Whether you are a beginner or a fanatical expert, you will be able to enjoy the best in crosswords daily.
If you find published puzzles difficult, you can purchase our highly acclaimed trainer crossword series inside the app.
INTRODUCTION: Across Lite is the de facto standard for publishing crosswords on the web – from newspapers such as The New York Times to independent authors – free or with subscription. The app includes a set of bookmarks to some of the well-known sources crosswords published for Across Lite. Downloading crosswords into Across Lite is easy. Puzzles can be downloaded and available to solve even when offline.
HIGHLIGHTS: People who have used Across Lite on any platform know there is nothing Lite about it. It has more user-friendly and advanced features than any other software out there.
In addition to Across Lite signature features that has set the standard such as pen and pencil modes, extensive check and reveal commands, or ink saver for printing, there are ground-breaking features that are much copied but never equaled:
-
For the traditionalists, the unique Page View mode allows you to view and solve the crossword just like a printed crossword, the closest you can come to solving on paper. The List View provides the conventional computer-like interface for the gamers. But here is the best part – with single taps you can instantaneously switch back and forth between them allowing a type of solving never before possible. Once you get used to solving like this, nothing less will do.
-
The app contains our original invention – SmartMove™ – which captures a method experts instinctively use to solve in a criss-cross manner leveraging previously entered letters. Use it for a while and you will develop that habit for fast and effective solving.
-
Because no two solvers are alike, the app provides the most flexible and customizable interfaces. Both left-handed and right-handed people can find a layout that caters to them.
UPGRADE: We request serious solvers and those who appreciate our efforts to consider purchasing an upgrade from inside the app. The upgrade enables the following:
– An embedded web browser for easy downloading of puzzles
-
A timer for those who wish to measure themselves.
-
Ability to enter multiple characters for rebus puzzles.
-
A unique color and contrast setting feature designed to reduce eye strain from looking at the traditional white background (perhaps because we, at Litsoft, are getting older!). It can be customized to personal tastes and to light conditions, so for example, solving in the dark does not turn you into a lighthouse for your spouse.
Just try it out and we are certain that over time you will discover and come to appreciate all the small touches we have embedded in the app.
Enjoy!
NOTE about availability of crosswords:
-
This app is a solver for independent crosswords published online in Across Lite format. Other than any crosswords for sale inside the app, it is NOT a supplier of crosswords.
-
To respect a publishing site's terms of service and to avoid copyright infringement, it does NOT automatically fetch crosswords for you without visiting the site. Doing so is a violation of publisher copyrights and reputable software will not do this.
-
It does NOT guarantee availability of crosswords from publishers who make their own decisions on availability and access including charging for them on their web sites.
If there are any problems with the access to crosswords on any site, please contact the site directly.
This Word game offers engaging gameplay and regular updates for mobile players.
Player Feedback
As a newer release, Across Lite Crosswords is building its player community. Early feedback suggests .
Recent Updates & Development
Latest Update: 2nd April 2020
Recent improvements include:
Minimum iOS required raised to 11.x, since new updates to the App Store will not run on older (32-bit) iPads with iOS 10 or earlier.
People with older iPads should see the last known running version v 4.1 available to them for install.
Download & Availability
Across Lite Crosswords is available through the official App Store for iOS devices.
Get Across Lite Crosswords on App Store
Requirements: Requires iPad Air / iPad Air (Cellular) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina) / iPad Mini 2 (Retina, Cellular) / iPad Air 2 / iPad Air 2 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 3 / iPad Mini 3 (Cellular) / iPad Mini 4 / iPad Mini 4 (Cellular) or later.
Compatible with iPhone and iPad devices.
Player Experience Highlights
Community Insight:
We are so glad that we found this stash of puzzles by David A. Bywaters, as they are a true delight to play. Only problem is, we play several a day so Ill run out by next summer. Hopefully hell create some more by then.
A very nice app. Pretty easy to use. We don't like the alphabet keys along the sides but the compromise of keyboard in portrait mode works well. Would be nice to add a timer though.
We use this every day. It makes a puzzle a bit easy but early in the morning thats a good thing. Ive been using Across Lite for Years.
We do multiple puzzles daily to warm up the brain. Most of our favorite constructors use the .puz format. Across Lite is easy to tailor to your solving methods and level of difficulty.
Ive long wished for a way to do the WSJ weekend puzzle on our tablet. Their games website is clunky, and printing is a hassle and expensive. We stumbled on this app while searching in Reddit. It took us a little while to get the hang of downloading, but once we got used to it, it was a snap. The app works reliably and has lots of flexibility. It feels close to working puzzles with pencil and paper, and saves dragging printed copies around with us. Highly recommend.
Loving crossword likeI do, It is hard to find an app (or a book!), that is uniquely challenging, without the frustrations we found with other apps. We love that we can save time by adding the first letter of a word we think is a possible answer, and can see right away if im on the right track, which = no stress! This the App that we use more than any other on our ipad. Love the we can import puzzles easily from other sources-its the gift that keeps on giving! The brilliantly constructed puzzles help to keep our mind sharp, and serve to occupy our mind during stressful events. Thank you so much for making this affordable and accessible. As for the rating, we wish there were more stars.
Terrific app allows you to set options for word reveal, letter reveal, incorrect letters. Highly recommended.
We run the app on an iPad and so it goes with us all of the time Popping it open even for just a few minutes is fun. If you go through either all the vertical words or the horizontal words first, it becomes a speed game of filling in the blanks. Its a great app. Five stars.
Access to many puzzles to satisfy every user. Many in apps features to help solvers.
Well designed software. Intuitive, easy to move around in. Great work, thanks.
Crossword puzzle app. Ive used it for many years. We quit NY Times because we cant stand their puzzle software.
Great tool for learning how to work a crossword puzzle.
Was always our preferred way of solving as the smart clue advance is fantastic. We wish the current NY Times would still work but thats not the fault of the app.
Thrilled that AcrossLite connects easily with other puzzles, particularly the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Wall Street Journal. Features are readily available, puzzles can be downloaded in seconds and completed off-line. Highly recommend.
Its a very good app for solving crosswords and we prefer it to the others.
Keeps us occupied and gives the old brain a little workout. Good app.
Across lite app is the first app we open every day, and often its the last one we use too. Puzzles are fun and easy to download and save. New crosswords are available every day so you never run out. Take the time to download this app and you will be challenged every day.
Needs to switch solving direction when you double tap on a letter. Otherwise awesome.
The app that makes us glad we have an ipad. Recently: Can't check puzzles – get nothing but a screen of Xs. (And we know we're not THAT bad! ).
A great tool for solving on-line crosswords with nice features that newspapers don't have.
AcrossLite is the way we can solve online crosswords on our iPad. It works great.
Our father is a long-time doer of crosswords. He not only does the New York Times, but he does his puzzles FAST! We recently envied him his daily morning coffee/crossword combo. After all, we were suffering with coffee alone! Having never completed a crossword in our life, we downloaded the free version of Crossword Lite. The first puzzle went well, that is to say, we managed to complete it in one sitting. This was our first ever, fully completed, crossword puzzle! We don't believe the length of our "one sitting" will add any meat to the crux of our narration, therefore, for the sake of brevity, we shall omit that useless information… The SECOND puzzle in the free download was considerably more difficult to solve. As of this review, it remains unfinished. We decided that our mental capacity lacked, well, capacity. We made an attempt to somehow rectify the situation and paid for the Crossword Lite Tutorial vol.1. We can honestly say that we will definitely be purchasing vols.2&3! The number of puzzles for the money was actually a pleasant surprise, and the app. Itself is very nicely done. There are two viewing options, "List" and "Page". Page is nice because it is laid out like a crossword in the newspaper, in that you can see all the clues while working the puzzle. Alas, as an old fart, we prefer list mode. You have to scroll thru the clues, but the actual puzzle is larger and easier to see. You can chose between "Pen" and "Pencil" mode, but to be honest, we can't tell the difference. It very well could be our lack of technological savvy. We call ourselves a Computer Stud. Badum-Bum! < chirp, chirp, chirp.> Oohhh, tough crowd. Moving on… We believe that people wanting to learn how to do crosswords will love this app. As the tutorial puzzles get progressively harder. Of course, you get help and encouragement as needed. Veteran puzzlers should find purchasable upgrades, ( for, in our opinion, an excellent value ), that will challenge them as much as any "analog" puzzle ever has. They even offer New York Times packages! C'mon, fahget about it! Badum-Bum? This is the first app. We have reviewed, because it deserves one. This is the first app. We have spent money on, because it was worth it! And we're an old codger who's tight with our cash. Have fun! ;) George Van Aken.
Intuitive. Free. Well-designed. Ill buy the full version.
Well designed software. Intuitive, easy to move around in. Great work, thanks.
Thrilled that AcrossLite connects easily with other puzzles, particularly the Chronicle of Higher Education and the Wall Street Journal. Features are readily available, puzzles can be downloaded in seconds and completed off-line. Highly recommend.
Across lite app is the first app we open every day, and often its the last one we use too. Puzzles are fun and easy to download and save. New crosswords are available every day so you never run out. Take the time to download this app and you will be challenged every day.
Loads fast, staple, good puzzles.
Great app – we love it. Its far better than any crossword app Ive used.
Occasionally things go wrong with this app. However it always gets fixed. This is the best way to do a crossword puzzle beside paper and pen (only joking). We highly recommend this app for a morning wake up with a cup of coffee. There are many many crosswords puzzles available for Across Lite. We have been using this for years and we highly recommend it.
Keeps us occupied and gives the old brain a little workout. Good app.
Easy to use for someone who has just started solving crossword puzzles. We like the simplicity of the app and the ability to download puzzles from other sources.
It takes a bit of adjustment to get used to this method, but it can be the most comfortable way to type on an iPad.
Works great. Easy to use. Great puzzles. We love it. Try the WSJ Friday puzzles! Im addicted.
Makes time pass quickly when we're unable to do anything else; like having to wait for longer than a few minutes for someone or something.
This is as perfect a crossword puzzle game as it gets… Thank you.
Enjoy using the app to do our morning crosswords. Can download several and take them on the plane – no pen required.
Not gimmicky or full of distracting nonsense. Across Lite is our favorite crossword app. Its great to play published crossword puzzles via this app.
For once there are some more difficult puzzles.
Makes puzzling the top papers seamless.
We love this app. We can do the puzzles. The only issues is downloading the puzzles after you complete the easy puzzles. It is, however, the best app we have found.
We love this app. Best means for solving crosswords.
This app is easy to use and has a great choice of puzzles. We like being able to choose from different authors as well as varying levels of difficulty. We also like that it can tell us when a letter is incorrect so we dont waste time and energy with a wrong answer.
Love that we can pull puzzles in from various papers, and hoard them for long plane rides. We once wasnt smart enough make a move in the upgraded version, wrote to the developers, and they responded right away.
We spend WAY too many hours on this app. Its a wonderful diversion from the stresses of the day.
The app that makes us glad we have an ipad.
Been using this app for years. Love it.
Great app. Works as advertised. Suggest adding feature of tapping on grid to change from across to down and vv.
However, this interface allowing us to say that is incredibly annoying. We cant pick a nickname it will accept and it wont let go of us! Every one Ive tried is taken.
Love this app but we installed iOS 14.4 yesterday (Sunday) and tried a wsj Monday puzzle, your app keeps crashing. Just an FYI. We really missed this app while we couldnt get it to work. Out of desperation we deleted it and reinstalled and viola! Its working again. Update july 20, 2022: seems there is another glitch. When trying to load puzzles from fleeting image site, the download stalls. At least the app doesnt crash.
This is the best crossword app online, and we go to it every day.
User feedback from Apple App Store
App Details
- Version: 4.1.3
- Size: 27.86 MB
- iOS: 11.0 or later
- Languages: EN
- Content Advisory:
- Developer: Literate Software LLC
Last updated: 2nd April 2020 | Genre: Word, Puzzle | Developer: Literate Software LLC