Crossword Labs is a free, no-registration crossword maker built in 2011 that turns a word-and-clue list into a solvable online or printable crossword, with an optional $9.95 lifetime membership for private puzzles and a dashboard. Printoodle is a broader printables generator: for party hosts it produces crosswords plus bingo, trivia cards, word searches, coloring pages and full themed party packs from one credit-based app (10 free credits on signup, credit packs from $5, reprints free forever). If you need exactly one crossword, Crossword Labs is the faster free pick; if you want a whole pack of matching party activities, Printoodle covers far more ground.
Bottom line: Crossword Labs wins on single-crossword speed and cost (free, no account); Printoodle wins on breadth for party hosts who need bingo, trivia, coloring and themed packs alongside the crossword.
TL;DR
- Crossword Labs is free to use with no ads, no watermarks and no registration, and has hosted over one million crossword puzzles since 2011.
- An optional $9.95 lifetime membership on Crossword Labs adds private puzzles and a dashboard.
- Crossword Labs exports to PDF, Microsoft Word, image and SVG, and puzzles can be solved online, shared via link, or embedded on a website.
- Printoodle generates crosswords plus bingo, trivia cards, word searches, coloring pages, mazes and themed party packs from one app.
- Printoodle gives new users 10 free credits on email verification; credit packs start at $5 and reprints are free forever.
- Reviewers praise Crossword Labs for simplicity but note limited customization and basic visual design.
- For a full party pack of matching activities, Printoodle covers more; for a single quick crossword, Crossword Labs is hard to beat at free.
Head-to-head
| Dimension | Printoodle | Crossword Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free 10 credits; credit packs from $5; reprints free forever | Free; optional $9.95 lifetime membershipwinner |
| Activity variety | Crosswords, bingo, trivia, word searches, coloring, mazes, dot-to-dot, party packswinner | Crosswords only |
| Ease of use | Upload photo/brief, spend credits, download PDF | Paste words and clues, generate — no registrationwinner |
| Output formats | Print-ready PDF (Letter default, A4 toggle) | PDF, Microsoft Word, image, SVGwinner |
| Online solving | Not available — print-focused | Yes, with shareable links, embedding and Focus Modewinner |
| Personalization | Names in birthday kits, photos turned into coloring pages, custom trivia from your briefwinner | Custom words and clues only |
| Commercial use | Personal/family use focus | Explicitly allowed, no attribution requiredwinner |
| Setup | Email verification for free credits | None — no registration requiredwinner |
Scores
Printoodle
printoodle.com ↗Printoodle is a consumer web app for generating personalized, print-ready activity pages in seconds. Users upload a photo, a document, or a short brief, spend credits, and download a print-ready PDF (Letter by default, with an A4 toggle). The generator covers themed coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversion (turning a pet or family photo into line art), pixel color-by-number mystery pictures, word searches, crosswords, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot pages, classroom worksheets and full themed party packs. Everything a user makes lives in a library where reprints are always free. For party hosts specifically, Printoodle targets bridal and baby shower bingo and trivia, plus birthday kits that include the child's name. The product is family-safe with safe-for-kids defaults, no trademarked characters and no NSFW content, and each activity theme page carries a free sample alongside the generator.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | $0/mo | 10 credits on email verification |
| Credit packs | $5/one_time | Pay-as-you-go credits; reprints free forever |
Pros
- One tool covers crosswords, bingo, trivia, word searches, coloring pages, mazes and full party packs
- Personalization: birthday kits can include the child's name; photos can become coloring pages
- 10 free credits on email verification lets you test the generator before paying
- Credit packs start at just $5, so occasional hosts pay very little
- Reprints from your library are free forever — handy when guests ask for another copy
- Family-safe defaults with no trademarked characters or NSFW content
Cons
- Credit-based model means large batches consume credits, unlike fully free tools
- No interactive online solving — output is print-ready PDF rather than a shareable puzzle link
- Broader tool rather than a crossword specialist, so grid control is simpler than dedicated constructors
Crossword Labs
crosswordlabs.com ↗Crossword Labs is a free online crossword puzzle maker built in 2011 by Matt Johnson while an undergrad at Washington State University, Vancouver. It bills itself as the simplest and fastest way to build, print, share and solve crossword puzzles online, and has grown into one of the largest repositories of crosswords on the internet with over one million puzzles made. You paste in a list of words and clues and the site generates a puzzle automatically — no ads, no watermarks, and no registration required. Finished puzzles can be solved online (including a distraction-free Focus Mode for students), shared via URL, embedded on a website, or printed/exported to PDF, Microsoft Word, image, or SVG for full customization. A paid account is optional: a $9.95 lifetime membership adds private puzzles and a dashboard. Commercial use is allowed with no attribution required.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/one_time | Make, print and share crosswords; no ads, no watermarks, no registration |
| Lifetime membership | $9.95/one_time | Private puzzles and a dashboard |
Pros
- Free to make and print complete crossword puzzles — the paid account is optional
- No ads, no watermarks, and no registration required
- Over one million puzzles made since 2011; large public repository to browse
- Multiple export formats: PDF, Word, image, and SVG for full customization
- Interactive online solving with shareable links and website embedding
- Commercial use permitted without attribution
Cons
- Crosswords only — no bingo, trivia, word searches or coloring pages
- Reviewers note limited customization and basic visual design
- No AI generation or freeform editor; grid layouts are algorithmically generated with no manual adjustment
- No built-in way for students/guests to submit completed puzzles for grading — screenshots or printouts needed
- Answer-key visibility requires signing in
Pricing compared: free credits vs a $9.95 lifetime membership
One puzzle or a whole pack: breadth of activities
Print vs play: how guests actually use the puzzles
Which should you pick?
FAQs
Is Crossword Labs really free to print from?
Yes. Crossword Labs states on its own site that 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. Commercial use is also allowed with no attribution required, though it's appreciated.
Can Printoodle make more than just crosswords for a party?
Yes. Printoodle generates themed coloring pages, photo-to-coloring-page conversions, pixel color-by-number mystery pictures, word searches, crosswords, trivia cards, bingo, flashcards, mazes, dot-to-dot pages, classroom worksheets and themed party packs. For party hosts, that covers bridal and baby shower bingo and trivia as well as birthday kits that include the child's name — all downloadable as print-ready PDFs.
How does Printoodle's credit system work?
New users get 10 free credits after email verification. Generating an activity page spends credits, and you can buy credit packs starting at $5. Everything you create is saved in your library, and reprints from that library are free forever, so you can print extra copies for guests without spending more credits.
Can guests solve Crossword Labs puzzles on their phones at a party?
Yes. Crossword Labs works on tablets and phones — you share the puzzle's URL and guests can solve it online by clicking cells and typing. Focus Mode displays the crossword without branding or buttons, which is useful if you're projecting the puzzle or sending a clean link to guests.
Which tool is better for a baby shower?
It depends on the format. For a printed table-activity setup, Printoodle is the stronger fit: it generates shower bingo and trivia alongside crosswords and coloring pages in one coordinated pack, personalized to your event. If you only want a single crossword — especially one remote guests can solve online via a shared link — Crossword Labs does that for free with no account needed.
Sources
- About Crossword Labs
- Free, Online Crossword Puzzle Maker - 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
- Lab Week 2026 - Crossword Labs
- Printoodle
- PuzzleMe Pricing & Plans