EclipseCrossword in 2026: Still Free, Still Windows-Only (+ Alternatives)

EclipseCrossword still works, and it is still free. But it runs only on Windows, and its latest version, 1.3.63, dates from December 5, 2020. If you are on a Mac, a Chromebook or an iPad, you need something else.

This page covers what EclipseCrossword still does well, how maintained it really is, and which alternative fits each device. Grid Genius is our product and appears below; we list its limits the same way we list everyone else's.

How we checked. EclipseCrossword facts come from eclipsecrossword.com and its Microsoft Store listing. Every alternative was checked on its own site or App Store listing on November 4, 2026. Prices are in US dollars.

Is EclipseCrossword still maintained?

Partly. Here is what we found:

• The program has not changed since 2020. The download page says the latest version is 1.3.63, updated December 5, 2020.
• It is still distributed. The site offers the download, and recommends the Microsoft Store version for Windows 10 and 11. The Store listing is live, lists the app as free, and shows a listing update in April 2026 without a new version number.
• The sharing service is up. The Share EclipseCrossword page still offers an upload form that turns a puzzle file into a link. We did not upload a puzzle to test it end to end.
• No Mac, phone or tablet version exists. Its help pages say so plainly, and there is no announcement of one.

So it is not abandoned, but it is not being developed either. That is fine for a simple tool that does one job, as long as you are on Windows.

What EclipseCrossword still does well

Credit where it is due. EclipseCrossword has stayed popular for good reasons:

• Free with no catch. Its developer says it is not a limited trial and contains no viruses, spyware or advertisements.
• Installed on your PC. Get it from the Microsoft Store, or use the offline installer if the Store is not available to you.
• Simple. You type words and clues, and it builds the puzzle.
• Useful exports. You can export the puzzle to a word processor as Rich Text Format, which also saves a separate answer key file, or as a Windows metafile or PostScript. You can also save it as a web page.

If you are on a Windows PC and those features cover you, keep using it.

The alternatives, by device

Grid Genius: the same job in a browser

The free Grid Genius word-list maker does what most people use EclipseCrossword for: you enter words and clues, and it builds a numbered puzzle. It runs in any browser, including on Chromebooks and iPads, with no account. You can paste a list in one go, with a dash, colon, tab or equals sign between each word and its clue, and phrases stay whole (ICE CREAM fills as ICECREAM).

It also covers what EclipseCrossword cannot. Saved puzzles get a private link that students solve on any device without an account. Stuck solvers see your own backup hint first, then AI Hints, which rephrase the clue or add a related fact instead of revealing letters. And if you have a topic but no list, AI builds the whole puzzle: words, clues and grid. A free account includes 3 AI puzzles to start.

The trade-offs: it needs an internet connection, grids are square and top out at 15x15, printouts carry a small Grid Genius footer, and the free app shows ads. For a full walkthrough, see how to create a word list crossword.

Crossword Labs: the simplest web switch

Crossword Labs takes one answer and clue per line and builds the puzzle in your browser, free, with no ads, no watermarks and no registration. Puzzles solve on phones and tablets, and export to PDF, Word, an image or SVG. Free puzzles are public and visible in search engines, and answers cannot contain spaces. Our page on whether Crossword Labs is free covers its membership and limits.

Discovery Education Puzzlemaker: paper only, no account

Puzzlemaker's Criss-Cross maker takes a title and your words and clues in one box, with no account, and returns a printable puzzle with an answer key. There is no save button and no online solving, and the first space ends each answer. It is the closest web match to EclipseCrossword's print-and-go habit. See our Puzzlemaker alternatives for the rest of the classroom field.

Crosshare: for building real grids

If you want to design the grid yourself, Crosshare is a free, ad-free, open-source constructor with autofill. It works in the browser on desktops, tablets and phones, imports .puz and .ipuz files, and publishes puzzles with solver stats. It is a step up in control from EclipseCrossword's automatic layouts, and a step up in effort.

CrossFire and Crossword Studio: paid desktop apps for the Mac

If you want installed software on a Mac:

• CrossFire costs $50 for a registered copy, with free updates, and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Unregistered copies close after an hour and cannot save. It imports and exports .ipuz files and prints NYT submission sheets.
• Crossword Studio is a $29.99 Mac-only app on the Mac App Store. It prints or exports puzzles as images, web pages or .puz files, and exports newspaper submission formats.

Both are built for constructors who want to place black squares and fill grids, not just turn a list into a puzzle.

Cruciverbalist: free on iPad and iPhone

Cruciverbalist is a free app for writing crosswords on iPad and iPhone, with no ads and no subscriptions. It suggests words to complete partly filled rows and columns from a list of more than 550,000 English words, names and phrases, and exports blank puzzles or NYT-format submissions to PDF. It also runs on Macs with Apple silicon, though its listing says it is not verified for macOS. Its last update was version 1.9, in April 2024.

Qxw: free and offline on Windows or Linux

Qxw is a free, open-source desktop constructor for Windows and Linux. It builds grids with blocks or bars, offers dozens of symmetry types, and autofills from a word list, warning you when a grid becomes impossible to fill. Like EclipseCrossword, it has not had a new release in years (its latest is from July 2020), and it has no Mac version.

Which should you use?

• You are on Windows and happy with EclipseCrossword. Keep it. It still works and costs nothing.
• You moved to a Mac or Chromebook and make vocabulary puzzles. Use a web maker: Grid Genius if students should solve online privately, Crossword Labs if public puzzles are fine, Puzzlemaker if you only print.
• You want installed software on a Mac. CrossFire or Crossword Studio. If you just need paper, print PDFs from a web maker ahead of time.
• You build puzzles on an iPad. Cruciverbalist.
• You construct real grids for free. Crosshare in the browser, or Qxw on Windows and Linux. Our Crossword Compiler alternatives compares the constructor tools in depth.

Frequently asked questions