11 Best Crossword Puzzle Makers in 2024

The best crossword puzzle makers help you create educational crosswords. Whether you are a teacher or a parent who wants to develop spelling skills and thinking abilities in your child, you do not need to figure out a crossword by yourself, as you can use one of the crossword puzzle generators instead. There are online crossword generators as well as versions for desktop and mobile devices.

Top 11 Crossword Puzzle Makers

  1. Crossword Puzzle Tool - Uncomplicated is usage
  2. Crossword Labs - Protects your password
  3. Puzzlemaker - Generates puzzles automatically
  4. Instant - Quick crossword generation
  5. Crossword Compiler 10 - Lists with subject words
  6. EclipseCrossword - Export in various formats
  7. Klest-crossword - Registers the number of views
  8. Crossword Weaver - A great variety of configurations
  9. Crossword Puzzle Maker - Allows adding a background image
  10. Wordapp - Automatically generates crossword grids
  11. Bonza Word Puzzle - Automatically generates crossword grids

The best crossword puzzle maker is easy to use and allows you to create, print and even publish crosswords. Besides, these crossword makers can be customized to meet the needs of learners. Such flexibility will also let you make crosswords as interesting and useful as possible. If you need to insert some collage into your crossword puzzle, use free photo collage makers.

1. Crossword Puzzle Tool – Our Choice

Uncomplicated is usage
  • Puzzle check option
  • A comprehensive guide on working with the program
  • Preview option
  • Restore function
  • None

Verdict: Crossword Puzzle Tool is a great web-based generator of interactive crosswords that will be especially handy for educating students or other learners.

To make a crossword puzzle free you need to submit your name and choose the level of complexity, then press the “Create yours” tab and specify the title of your puzzle. Afterward, enter your words (minimum three) and questions. The preview feature lets you see how your work will look like at the result.

If you want to change something, click Restore. The “Check Puzzle” function highlights the correct answers in green and the wrong ones in red.

crossword puzzle tool maker interface

2. Crossword Labs

Protects your password
  • Exports crosswords as images
  • Export in SVG
  • Create a link for publishing on the site
  • Crossword search
  • Difficult for beginners
  • Crossword key cannot be restored

Verdict: It is an interactive crossword puzzle maker that allows generating, printing, publishing and doing crosswords online. Registration is not required to work with the site.

Enter the name of the crossword puzzle, see how to configure it and get to work. Enter a word, space and prompt, and your crossword is ready. The next screen will allow you to edit, restore or save the crossword puzzle in a Word or PDF document with further sharing on one of many social networks.

You can also copy the URL of your quiz and publish it on your site.

To protect the answer key, create a password before creating a crossword. Besides, you can access crosswords created by other users by clicking the “Find Crossword” button at the top of the page.

crossword labs puzzle maker interface

3. Puzzlemaker

Generates puzzles automatically
  • Large selection of puzzles
  • Export in HTML format
  • Available on a compact disk
  • Easy project editing
  • The CD version is paid
  • Complicated interface

Verdict: Widely regarded as the best crossword puzzle maker, it is perfect for generating puzzles for educators, learners and parents. Puzzlemaker offers many formats, which can be modified according to your needs.

Create and print individual word searches and math puzzles with the help of word lists created by you. To start working on the project, you need to choose the type of puzzle from the list presented.

Submit the right answers and adjust your puzzle according to your preferences. You can preview the results and make the necessary changes before printing.

puzzlemaker crossword maker interface

4. Instant

Quick crossword generation
  • Uncomplicated in usage
  • Export in PDF format
  • Long clues
  • Economical printing
  • Some options are paid
  • Does not work with Word format
instant crossword puzzle maker logo
Instant

Verdict: Instant is a web-based puzzle maker crossword that offers a great variety of basic and premium features, like saving the puzzle as a PDF file.

To create a puzzle, follow these simple steps: start each line with the word of the answer, then type the slash “/” and enter a clue that can be of any length.

After generating a puzzle, you can see what it will look like with background images. Besides, you can print out your crossword using photo printing software.

To get attractive crossword puzzles with pictures, you need to pay for some extra options. Also, pay attention to the fact that Instant does not allow copying and pasting crossword puzzles to a Word document.

instant crossword puzzle maker interface

5. Crossword Compiler 10

Lists with subject words
  • Allows creating crosswords in various forms
  • Helps select words
  • Newspaper style
  • Powerful grid filling mechanism
  • A steep learning curve
  • The full version is paid
crossword compiler 10 puzzle maker logo
Crossword Compiler 10

Verdict: Crossword Compiler 10 allows building crossword puzzles in various forms. You can choose what type of crossword you want to create from your own list of words. It allows creating vocabulary crosswords or word search puzzles. A great thing is that this crossword generator offers thematic word lists that facilitate the task significantly.

The New Puzzle feature allows you to choose the type of puzzle you want to compile. It inserts many words into the grid and allows you to choose the desired filling.

Crossword Compiler 10 can generate puzzles of various forms. It also allows creating basic puzzles of different sizes in a newspaper style.

crossword compiler 10 puzzle maker interface

6. EclipseCrossword

Export in various formats
  • Saves word lists
  • Printing option
  • Saves projects as web-pages
  • Simple interface
  • Is not compatible with older versions of Windows
  • Manual crossword settings are not available
eclipsecrossword puzzle maker logo
EclipseCrossword

Verdict: EclipseCrossword is a free program for generating crosswords on Windows 10 devices. Featuring a user-friendly interface, this maker allows generating crosswords fast and easily.

To build a crossword, you only need to add words and clues. Besides, you can save a list of words and use it later. After adding words, you need to choose the size of your future crossword.

The resulted file can be printed or saved on your PC. You can choose which items you want to print, as well as set the number of copies.

eclipsecrossword puzzle maker interface

7. Klest-crossword

Registers the number of views
  • More than 1000 puzzles
  • Saves templates
  • Checks if a crossword is correct
  • Convenient export in various formats
  • Unappealing interface
  • Complicated for beginners
klest-crossword puzzle maker logo
Klest-crossword

Verdict: Although Klest-crossword does not feature a well-thought-out interface, it is widely regarded as the best crossword puzzle maker. This is an open-source compiler that offers more than 1000 puzzles. You can test, edit or solve them.

Klest-crossword generates grids automatically. Besides, it can select words from the dictionary automatically or semi-automatically. This puzzle compiler allows saving a grid as a template, as well as exporting crosswords in various formats, including RTF, PDF, PostScript, HTML, etc.

Klest-crossword also supports AcrosSLite and OpenKlest formats. It can check the correctness of a puzzle and provides users with view statistics.

klest-crossword puzzle maker interface

8. Crossword Weaver

A great variety of configurations
  • Symmetry mode
  • Configures each page separately
  • Optimized for printing
  • Download and word statistics
  • Poor customer support
  • Many functions are paid
crossword weaver puzzle maker interface
Crossword Weaver

Verdict: Crossword Weaver is one more popular puzzle maker crossword. Featuring a user-friendly UI, the compiler allows generating a freeform or symmetrical crossword.

After deciding on the desired puzzle type, you need to submit the words and clues. To speed up this process, you can upload or download a list of words. Then, you need to generate a grid and choose its size.

A great thing is that you can modify the look of each page, as well as the font style to your liking. Besides, Crossword Weaver offers detailed statistics and lets you know about the exact number of words.

Moreover, you can print out puzzles directly from the compiler. Crossword Weaver has an export option, so you can download the puzzle you’ve built to your computer or other devices.

crossword weaver puzzle maker interface

9. Crossword Puzzle Maker

Allows adding a background image
  • Beautiful fonts and gradients
  • Magnifying glass function
  • Saves history of generated crosswords
  • Supports vector graphics
  • May stop functioning abruptly
  • Does not allow puzzle downloading
crossword puzzle maker logo
Crossword Puzzle Maker

Verdict: This is probably the best crossword puzzle maker for iPhone and iPad users. The process of puzzle creation is very simple: you only need to enter a title, answers and clues. The developers of this crossword compiler offer beautiful fonts, great backgrounds and seamless gradients.

Crossword Puzzle Maker automatically highlights a title and prompts. If you want to modify your project later, you can use the history of already generated crosswords. A magnifying glass function is great for people who have eye problems.

The program allows you to add your own background images or choose from 12 presets. Background settings are easy to adjust. You can choose the ideal position, size, opacity, types of transitions, etc.

crossword puzzle maker interface

10. Wordapp

Automatically generates crossword grids
  • Database of clues
  • Simple download and save function
  • Supports import of puzzles from other makers
  • Exports files as an image
  • Issues with crossword sharing
wordapp crossword puzzle maker logo
Wordapp

Verdict: Wordapp is probably the best crossword puzzle maker for Android users. Featuring a great variety of handy features, this generator is uncomplicated in usage and offers numerous automatic options.

Besides, Wordapp will find the most suitable puzzle template, based on a set of words entered by a user. This crossword maker provides a great database of clues taken from professional crosswords and vocabularies.

Users can share puzzles with friends with the help of third-party tools. Once a user has received the puzzle, they can open it by using Wordapp.

wordapp crossword puzzle maker interface

11. Bonza Word Puzzle

Unordinary puzzle formats
  • Quiz plus crossword
  • Great collection of words
  • Sound effects
  • Synchronization with the community
  • Subpar quality of downloaded puzzles
bonza word puzzle crossword maker logo
Bonza Word Puzzle

Verdict: Bonza Word Puzzle generates unique quizzes and crosswords. Its database includes a great variety of free puzzles, and you can purchase more if you choose to.

Besides, Bonza Word Puzzle allows generating your own puzzles in its native format. You can use various sets of words and clues. Afterward, you can share the resulted quizzes with the Bonza community.

Bonza Word Puzzle has numerous sound effects like those offered by animation makers for kids. You can add these effects to your puzzle making the process of its solving fun.

bonza word puzzle crossword maker interface
Contents:
SAVE UP TO 60% OFF SAVE UP TO 60% OFF