Crossword Labs vs 4 Free Crossword Makers (2026 Test)

Finding the Right Crossword Maker for Your Needs

Whether you're a teacher creating vocabulary exercises, an event planner designing party games, or a puzzle enthusiast making crosswords for fun, choosing the right crossword maker can save you hours of frustration.

We've tested the most popular free crossword generators — including Crossword Labs and the best alternatives to it — to help you find the right fit. This comparison covers ease of use, features, limits on the free tier, and what each tool does best.

What to Look for in a Crossword Maker

Before diving into specific tools, here are the key features to consider:

• Ease of use: How quickly can you create a puzzle without reading tutorials?
• Word limit: How many words can you include?
• Output formats: PDF, printable, interactive, or editable?
• Answer key: Is a separate solution included?
• Customization: Can you adjust difficulty, layout, and appearance?
• Account requirement: Do you need to register?
• Cost: Free vs. freemium vs. paid features

Crossword Maker Comparison

Every claim below was checked against the tool's own site in October 2026. Where we could not confirm a feature, we say so instead of guessing.

1. JigsawMake Crossword Maker

JigsawMake turns a list of words and clues into a printable crossword, with no account needed to create or download.

Pros:

• ✓ No account required to create and download
• ✓ PDF and PNG export, each with a separate answer key
• ✓ Three difficulty levels: Easy (more intersections), Medium, and Hard (fewer intersections)
• ✓ AI Generate writes word and clue pairs from a theme (usage limit on the free plan)
• ✓ Share a play link so others can solve the puzzle online
• ✓ Word search, sudoku, bingo and jigsaw makers on the same site

Cons:

• ✗ The free version shows ads; a Premium plan removes them
• ✗ Guest play links expire after 7 days (30 days when signed in)
• ✗ Fewer styling options than a design tool

Best for: Teachers and parents who want a printable crossword with an answer key in a few minutes, without creating an account.

2. Crossword Labs

Crossword Labs is one of the most widely used crossword makers. It is free to use with no registration, and its site states there are no ads and no watermarks.

Pros:

• ✓ Free to build, with no registration
• ✓ Print or export to PDF or Microsoft Word, plus image and SVG downloads
• ✓ Shareable link that can be solved online
• ✓ Embed a puzzle on your own website
• ✓ No ads or watermarks, per its own site

Cons:

• ✗ Free puzzles are public; hidden and private puzzles are members only
• ✗ On public puzzles, paid members can view the answer key as well as you

Best for: Anyone who wants a link students can solve online and does not mind the puzzle being public.

3. Discovery Education Puzzlemaker

A long-running classroom tool. Its criss-cross maker takes a title and a list of words with clues, one pair per line.

Pros:

• ✓ Free to use, no signup
• ✓ Several puzzle types in one place, including word search, criss-cross and math puzzles
• ✓ Simple entry form with a sample-data button

Cons:

• ✗ Words and clues share one 3,000 character box
• ✗ Title is capped at 49 characters
• ✗ We could not find an answer key option on the entry form

Best for: Teachers who want a quick criss-cross from a short vocabulary list.

4. The Teacher's Corner

A teacher resource site with a crossword maker alongside other worksheet generators. You can make and print a puzzle without logging in.

Pros:

• ✓ No login needed to make and print
• ✓ Answer key available from the options menu
• ✓ Free tier allows 30 lines of words and clues

Cons:

• ✗ The limit drops to 10 lines if you use an ad blocker
• ✗ 50 lines, ad removal and unlimited PDFs need a premium subscription

Best for: Teachers who also use the site's other worksheet makers.

5. Canva (Crossword Templates)

The design platform offers crossword templates that you edit in its design editor. We could not re-check Canva in October 2026, so treat this entry as a general description of its template-based approach.

Pros:

• ✓ Full control over fonts, colors and artwork
• ✓ Output can match your school or brand style

Cons:

• ✗ Template based: you lay out the grid and place the words in the editor
• ✗ Slower than a generator for long word lists
• ✗ Some templates and elements are Canva Pro only

Best for: Designers who care most about how the page looks and have time for manual layout.

Feature Comparison Table

A dash means we could not confirm that feature on the tool's own site.

Which Tool is Best for Your Needs?

For Teachers Creating Printables

Recommendation: JigsawMake

When you need a printable crossword for class, JigsawMake goes from a word list to a PDF with its answer key without a login. The free version is supported by ads.

For Online Interactive Puzzles

Recommendation: Crossword Labs

Crossword Labs gives every puzzle a public link that can be solved online or embedded on a class website, with no registration. Keeping a puzzle hidden or private is a members-only option. JigsawMake can also share a play link; guest links last 7 days.

For Multiple Puzzle Types

Recommendation: JigsawMake (full suite)

Beyond crosswords, we offer Word Search, Sudoku, and Jigsaw Puzzle makers on the same site, all free to use.

For Custom-Designed Layouts

Recommendation: Canva

If the look of the page matters more than speed, Canva gives full control over fonts, colors and artwork, at the cost of placing the words by hand.

Why JigsawMake Stands Out

We built JigsawMake for people who need a printable puzzle quickly:

• No account needed: Create and download without signing up
• Free downloads: PDF and PNG, each with a matching answer key
• AI word and clue generation: Start from a theme instead of a blank list
• Automatic layout: The generator finds the word intersections for you
• Adjustable difficulty: Easy (more intersections), Medium (balanced), and Hard (fewer intersections) layout options
• Play link: Share a puzzle for others to solve online

One thing to know up front: the free version shows ads. A Premium plan removes them and keeps play links active for the length of the membership.

Try JigsawMake Crossword Maker Now

Ready to create your crossword? Get started in seconds:

1. Go to our Crossword Puzzle Maker
2. Enter your words and clues (one per line) — or let the crossword clue generator write them for you
3. Choose your difficulty level
4. Download your PDF with answer key

Want something quicker to solve? Try the mini crossword maker for small daily-style grids.

Need a step-by-step tutorial? Check out our Complete Crossword Making Guide.

Start creating: Free Crossword Puzzle Maker →