The best crossword construction software depends on what you build and what computer you use. For American-style grids in a browser with nothing to install, Gridsmith and Crosshare are the free options to try first. For the established desktop pick, choose Crossfire ($50 once, Windows, Mac and Linux). For the deepest feature set on Windows, choose Crossword Compiler. For cryptics and unusual grids, look at Exet and Qxw. Gridsmith is our own tool, so weigh that when you read the ranking; every claim about the others below comes from their own sites unless noted.
Summary comparison table
| Tool | Price | Platform | Best for | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gridsmith | Free to build, fill, clue, save; Plus $4.99/mo or $39.96/yr for .puz and print/PDF | Desktop browser | American-style 15×15 and 21×21 in a browser | Only two grid sizes; no rebus, barred or cryptic grids; no publishing |
| Crossfire | $50 one-time, free updates for life | Windows, macOS, Linux | The established desktop constructor | Trial can't save; 1-hour sessions |
| Crossword Compiler | Subscription or one-off; check vendor for current prices | Windows only (VM on Mac) | Most feature-rich, many puzzle types | Windows-only; add-ons cost extra |
| Crosshare | Free, ad-free, open source | Browser, including phones | Free building plus publishing to solvers | Custom word lists listed as coming soon |
| Ingrid | Free beta (per a constructor resource) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Guided autofill and versioning | Beta software |
| Phil | Free, open source (Apache 2.0) | Browser | Simple client-side building, NYT-style submissions | Maintenance status unconfirmed |
| Exet | Free, open source (MIT) | Browser (desktop recommended) | Cryptic and barred crosswords | Not aimed at US-style dailies |
| Qxw | Free | Linux; also listed for Windows and Mac | Barred, hexagonal and circular grids | Dated interface; sparse documentation |
What should you look for in construction software?
Check these before you pick:
- Grid types. American-style (symmetric, fully interlocked) needs different support from barred or cryptic grids.
- Fill help. Ranked suggestions, autofill and the quality of the word list decide how much time you spend on fill. See crossword autofill and crossword word lists.
- Export. The .puz format is still the standard hand-off. Check what is free versus paid. See crossword file formats.
- Platform. Windows-only, desktop-only and browser-only tools suit different people.
- Price model. One-time, subscription, or free with paid exports.
Gridsmith
Price: free core; Plus is $4.99/month or $39.96/year. Platform: any modern desktop browser. Best for: newspaper-style 15×15 and 21×21 grids without an install.
Strengths: 180° rotational symmetry is applied automatically and numbering is live. Ranked word suggestions follow the crossings, you can autofill one word or the whole puzzle, and you can import your own scored word list. A clue editor sits beside the grid, with theme mode, special squares (circles and shading), a notes pad, live stats and autosave to a "My Puzzles" library. The free tier covers building, filling, clueing and saving unlimited puzzles; Plus adds .puz import/export and print/PDF.
Limitations: only 15×15 and 21×21; no rebus, barred or cryptic grids; no collaboration, cloud sync or mobile editing; no way to publish for solvers. Filling a blank grid from scratch can be slow.
Crossfire
Price: $50 one-time with free updates for life. Platform: Windows, macOS (10.12 and later), Linux. Best for: constructors who want a proven desktop app and a single payment.
Strengths: quick grid fill, selective fill of sub-regions, multiple custom dictionaries, integrated rebus support, live letter and length statistics, and integration with the Matt Ginsberg clue database. A third-party constructor resource says it imports and exports .puz and can output NYT-format PDF. The vendor lists version 1.3.2 as current.
Limitations: without a registration code it runs at reduced strength, sessions end after one hour and you can't save. It uses its own .cfp format. See Gridsmith vs Crossfire.
Source: Beekeeper Labs.
Crossword Compiler
Price: yearly subscription or one-off purchase, with add-ons sold separately; the vendor's public pages didn't show figures, and one third-party list gives $49 to $169. Platform: Windows 10 and 11 (including ARM); Mac users run it in a virtual machine. Best for: the widest range of puzzle types and outputs.
Strengths: American-style and other crosswords, vocabulary puzzles, word searches and Sudoku; export to PDF, RTF, images, XML, .puz, ipuz and more; web publishing; optional Professional Grid Filler and extra word lists. Version 11.51 shipped on August 22, 2026, so it is actively maintained.
Limitations: Windows-only; the free demo is limited to a small number of sample word lists; its own help notes that only XML preserves every puzzle style. See Gridsmith vs Crossword Compiler.
Sources: crossword-compiler.com and its update history.
Crosshare
Price: free, ad-free, open source; donations optional. Platform: browser on desktop, tablet and phone. Best for: building and publishing to solvers at no cost.
Strengths: fills as you type, any grid size including rectangular, rebus, barred grids, circles and shading, all symmetry types, publishing with embeds, comments and solve analytics, and meta puzzles. It uploads .puz and .ipuz and exports .puz. It has a large solving community.
Limitations: its constructor page listed custom word lists, saving multiple puzzles and offline mode as coming soon as of October 2026. See Gridsmith vs Crosshare.
Source: crosshare.org/construct.
Ingrid
Price: a constructor resource lists a free beta. Platform: Windows, macOS, Linux. Best for: constructors who want guided autofill with built-in versioning.
Strengths: the site highlights "flexible guided autofill" and versioning, and the solver core is open source under an MIT license. The same third-party resource says it imports and exports .puz and works with .jpz, .ipuz and .cfp.
Limitations: it is labeled beta, and a current price or version wasn't published on the official site as of October 2026.
Sources: ingrid.cx, ingrid_core on GitHub.
Phil
Price: free, Apache 2.0 license. Platform: browser (keiranking.com/phil), or run it locally. Best for: a simple, open-source American-style builder.
Strengths: client-side JavaScript, imports and exports .puz, uses the built-in dictionary or any text file as a word list, prints to PDF, and can create an NYT submission.
Limitations: its repository describes the solving engine as in progress, shows no releases, and recent maintenance couldn't be confirmed as of October 2026. Verify it still fits before relying on it.
Source: Phil on GitHub.
Exet
Price: free, MIT license. Platform: any modern browser; Chrome or Firefox on a desktop or laptop recommended. Best for: cryptic crosswords and barred grids.
Strengths: blocked, barred, US-style and 3-D grids; beam-search autofill with constraints; cryptic clue tools such as anagram and hidden-word tabs; word lists in English, Hindi and Brazilian Portuguese. Exports Exolve HTML, PDF, .puz, .ipuz and SVG. Version 1.08.1 is dated August 19, 2026.
Limitations: its tooling leans cryptic, so US-style daily construction is a secondary use.
Source: Exet.
Qxw
Price: free. Platform: packaged for Linux (Debian, Ubuntu); a constructor resource also lists Windows and Mac. Best for: unusual geometry.
Strengths: rectangular, hexagonal and circular grids with blocks, bars or both; automatic grid fill; letters, digits or non-Roman alphabets; a non-interactive mode for constraint problems. It saves .qxw and SVG.
Limitations: a GTK-based interface, no .puz in public sources as of October 2026, and its license and current Windows build. Check quinapalus.com for downloads.
Other tools worth knowing
GNOME Crosswords (Linux, .puz and .ipuz) and Crosserville (browser) appear in constructor resource lists. Crossword Weaver is a Windows program that one resource marks as possibly last updated in 2016, so confirm it is still maintained.
Why isn't a teacher's crossword maker on this list?
Tools such as Puzzlemaker-style generators take a word list and arrange it into a free-form grid. They suit classrooms, but they don't produce symmetric, fully interlocked newspaper grids, so they solve a different problem. If you want a quick vocabulary puzzle, use one. If you want a puzzle an editor could publish, use a constructor.
Which crossword software should you choose?
- I want to try constructing for free, in a browser: Gridsmith for standard 15×15 and 21×21 grids, or Crosshare for any size.
- I want to publish puzzles for people to solve: Crosshare.
- I want one payment and a desktop app: Crossfire.
- I'm on Windows and want the most features: Crossword Compiler.
- I'm on a Mac: Crossfire, Ingrid, or a browser tool. Crossword Compiler needs a virtual machine.
- I make cryptics or barred grids: Exet or Qxw.
- I want open source: Crosshare, Phil, Exet or Ingrid's core.
- I'm aiming at the New York Times: pick any tool that gives a clean symmetric 15×15 and a .puz export, then read the NYT submission guide and grid rules.
New to all of it? Start with how to make a crossword puzzle.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free crossword construction software?
For a browser with no install, Gridsmith and Crosshare are the leading free options. Crosshare is fully free and supports more grid types and publishing. Gridsmith is free to build and save, with .puz and print/PDF in a paid tier.
What do professional crossword constructors use?
There is no single standard. Constructors use Crossfire, Crossword Compiler, Ingrid and browser tools, and the common hand-off is the .puz file. Pick the one whose fill help and export you like.
Is there crossword construction software for Mac?
Yes. Crossfire runs natively on macOS, Ingrid lists macOS support, and browser tools like Gridsmith, Crosshare, Exet and Phil work on any Mac. Crossword Compiler is Windows-only and needs a virtual machine.
Can I make a crossword for free?
Yes. Gridsmith's free tier lets you build, fill, clue and save unlimited puzzles, and Crosshare, Phil, Exet and Qxw are free. Paid features, where they exist, are mostly export formats and print output.
Which tools can export .puz files?
Crossword Compiler, Crossfire, Crosshare, Exet, Phil and Ingrid all list .puz support in the sources above, and Gridsmith offers it in Plus. Read how to open a .puz file if you receive one.
Can software fill a crossword grid for me?
Many tools offer autofill, but a blank 15×15 is the hardest case and results vary. Treat autofill as a partner for corners and stubborn slots, not a replacement for good fill choices. See crossword fill tips.