Crossword Labs is a free online crossword maker built in 2011 that has produced over one million puzzles, with no ads, no watermarks, and no registration required — an optional $9.95 lifetime membership adds private puzzles and a dashboard. If you want more than crosswords, Printoodle generates print-ready crosswords plus word searches, coloring pages, bingo, and more from $5 credit packs (10 free credits on signup). For pure, fast crossword creation, Crossword Labs is the simpler pick; for a whole activity library, Printoodle covers more ground.
Bottom line: Crossword Labs wins on dedicated crossword simplicity — free, no registration, and an optional one-time $9.95 membership. Printoodle wins on breadth, turning one credit system into crosswords, word searches, coloring pages, bingo, and more with free reprints forever.
TL;DR
- Crossword Labs is free to use with no ads, no watermarks, and no registration required.
- An optional $9.95 lifetime membership adds private puzzles and a dashboard.
- Over one million crossword puzzles have been made on Crossword Labs since it launched in 2011.
- Crossword Labs supports online solving, shareable URLs, website embedding, and export to PDF, Word, image, and SVG.
- Printoodle covers crosswords plus word searches, coloring pages, bingo, flashcards, mazes, and themed party packs.
- Printoodle gives 10 free credits on email verification, with credit packs from $5 and free reprints forever.
- Crossword Labs has no AI generation or freeform grid editor — you supply your own words and clues.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | Crossword Labs | Printoodle |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free; optional $9.95 lifetime membershipwinner | 10 free credits on signup; credit packs from $5 |
| Ease of use | Paste words and clues, generate — no registrationwinner | Upload a photo, document, or short brief and download a PDF in seconds |
| Features | Online solving, shareable URLs, embedding, Focus Mode, commercial use allowed | Crosswords plus coloring, photo-to-line-art, color-by-number, bingo, flashcards, mazes, and morewinner |
| Support | Email support ([email protected]) with a detailed FAQ | Consumer web app with a free credit tier to test before spending |
| Integrations | Embed code for websites; works on tablets and phoneswinner | Print-ready PDFs with Letter default and A4 toggle; reusable library |
| Setup | None — no registration required to make puzzleswinner | Email verification for 10 free credits |
| Output formats | PDF, Microsoft Word, image download, SVGwinner | Print-ready PDF (Letter, A4) |
| Activity variety | Crosswords only | Crosswords, word searches, coloring pages, bingo, trivia, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, worksheets, party packswinner |
Scores
Crossword Labs
crosswordlabs.com ↗Crossword Labs is a free online crossword puzzle maker built in 2011 by Matt Johnson while he was an undergrad at Washington State University, Vancouver. It has grown into one of the largest repositories of crossword puzzles on the internet, with over one million puzzles made. The workflow is deliberately simple: you enter words and clues, and the platform generates a crossword automatically. Puzzles can be solved online on tablets and phones, shared via a URL, embedded on your own website, or printed. Export options include PDF, Microsoft Word, image download, and SVG for full customization. A Focus Mode displays the crossword without branding or buttons — useful when sending puzzles to students. The site states there are no ads, no watermarks, and no registration required, and that you can make and print a complete crossword for free, with a paid account being optional. An optional $9.95 lifetime membership adds private puzzles and a dashboard. Commercial use of puzzles is allowed with no attribution required. It remains a popular classroom tool for teachers who want a no-frills crossword creator.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/one_time | Make, print, share, solve, and embed crosswords; no ads, no watermarks, no registration |
| Lifetime membership | $9.95/one_time | Private puzzles and a dashboard; one-time payment |
Pros
- Free to use with no ads, no watermarks, and no registration required
- Optional $9.95 lifetime membership rather than a recurring subscription
- Multiple export formats: PDF, Word, image, and SVG
- Interactive online solving with shareable links and website embedding
- Over one million puzzles made — one of the largest crossword repositories online
- Commercial use permitted without attribution
Cons
- No AI generation — you must supply your own words and clues
- No freeform grid editor; layouts are algorithmically generated with no manual adjustment
- Limited customization and basic visual design
- Not set up for students submitting completed puzzles online for grading
- Solo-run project with email-only support
Printoodle
printoodle.com ↗Printoodle is a consumer web app where anyone can generate personalized, print-ready activity pages in seconds. Beyond crosswords, it produces themed coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversions that turn a pet or family photo into line art, pixel color-by-number mystery pictures, word searches, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot pages, classroom worksheets, and themed party packs. Users upload a photo, a document, or a short brief, spend credits, and download a print-ready PDF with Letter as the default size and an A4 toggle. Everything a user makes lives in a library where reprints are always free. The product serves parents of kids aged 3-12, teachers who want worksheets, word searches, and quizzes from their own lesson material, party hosts planning bridal and baby shower bingo and trivia, grown-up colorers who enjoy mandalas and intricate pixel art, and gifters making pet-photo coloring pages. It is a family product with safe-for-kids defaults, no trademarked characters, and no NSFW content. New users get 10 free credits on email verification, and credit packs start at $5.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0/one_time | 10 credits on email verification |
| Credit packs | $5/one_time | Credit packs from $5; reprints free forever |
Pros
- Broad activity library: crosswords, word searches, coloring pages, bingo, trivia, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot, and party packs
- Personalization, such as birthday kits with the child's name and pet-photo coloring pages
- 10 free credits on email verification to test before paying
- Credit packs from $5 with no subscription
- Free reprints forever from your library
- Print-ready PDF output with Letter and A4 options
Cons
- Credit-based model means each new generation costs credits, unlike unlimited free tools
- Crossword creation is one feature among many, not a dedicated specialist tool
- Requires an account with email verification to access the free tier
Pricing compared
Classroom fit for teachers
Features and output quality
Which should you pick?
FAQs
Is Crossword Labs really free?
Yes. The site states you can make and print a complete crossword puzzle for free, with no ads, no watermarks, and no registration required. A paid account is optional: a $9.95 lifetime membership adds private puzzles and a dashboard, but the site's own FAQ notes most people never buy one because you can do basically everything without it. Commercial use of your puzzles is also allowed with no attribution required.
Does Crossword Labs require an account to make a puzzle?
No. Crossword Labs requires no registration to create, print, share, or solve puzzles. An account only becomes relevant if you purchase the optional $9.95 lifetime membership, which unlocks private puzzles and a dashboard. This makes it one of the lowest-friction crossword makers available — you can go from word list to finished puzzle without ever entering an email address.
How does Printoodle's credit system work?
Printoodle gives new users 10 free credits after email verification. Each generation — a crossword, coloring page, word search, bingo set, or other activity — spends credits, and credit packs start at $5 as one-time purchases with no subscription. Anything you create is saved to your library, where reprints are always free, so you can download and print a finished puzzle or worksheet again at no additional cost.
Can students submit completed Crossword Labs puzzles for grading?
Not directly. Crossword Labs' own FAQ says it isn't really set up for that yet, and suggests students take a screenshot and email it, print to PDF, or print and photograph the finished puzzle. Answers typed online are stored in the student's own browser, so teachers don't see submissions automatically. Teachers needing digital submission and grading should plan a workaround or use a different workflow.
Which tool is better for elementary classrooms?
It depends on the workflow. Crossword Labs is ideal when you need quick, free crosswords from your own word list, with printable handouts and an online solving option via Focus Mode. Printoodle suits teachers who want crosswords plus word searches, worksheets, quizzes, and coloring pages generated from their own lesson material, with safe-for-kids defaults and free reprints from a library. Crossword-only needs favor Crossword Labs; varied activity creation favors Printoodle.
Sources
- Free, Online Crossword Puzzle Maker - Crossword Labs
- About Crossword Labs
- Lab Week 2026 - Crossword Labs
- Crossword Labs vs 4 Free Crossword Makers (2026 Test)
- Best Free Crossword Puzzle Makers in 2026: A Complete Comparison
- Best Crossword Puzzle Makers for Classrooms in 2026
- Printoodle - Print-ready activity pages
- PuzzleMe Pricing & Plans
- The Teacher's Corner