Crossword: offline open-source solver

People searching for crossword usually want a solver they can install and trust, not another advertising page that wraps a store listing. Keep this crossword install on GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword when you want a named crossword binary, prove one local puzzle, then change layouts only after that path works.

Here crossword means software that opens a grid, shows across and down clues, and keeps progress in files you own. XWord is the GPL-3.0 product this guide maps. Source and downloads live on mrichards42/xword. The release door is GitHub Releases. Safe download path: download-safe path. Repo layout: GitHub overview. Which file: releases.

What a crossword job needs

A crossword job on a personal PC needs software that can open .puz and related formats, keep a timer you understand, and leave subscription archives for people who want a full newspaper vault instead. You choose a local client, keep sources on Releases, and avoid surprise toolbars mid-setup. A desktop client for offline crossword play reduces logins that only work while a vendor account stays up.

XWord keeps that work on your machine. You install once, open a puzzle, type answers, check letters when you want help, and leave the window running. The everyday win is fewer half-finished “best crossword download” pages than chasing a new website for every session.

• Prefer GitHub Releases over adware “crossword download” portals.
• Match the filename on the tag before you image a shared desk.
• Prove one local .puz open before chasing rebus or diagramless modes.
• Write the update door beside the OS version on the machine ticket.

Why this desktop path

Across Lite still wins when you already live in that Windows habit and only need classic .puz. Browser crossword sites still win when install rights are missing. Choose this crossword path when you want a GPL-3.0 client that can play offline without a commercial account and still open the puzzle formats solvers already keep on disk.

XWord also covers rebus, diagramless, and partial ipuz support that many casual web boards never expose. Docs: XWord overview. First hour: installed.

Install by operating system

Windows detail: install on Windows. macOS: install on macOS. Linux: install on Linux. Machine chooser: for this computer.

Eight steps to first puzzle

1. Open GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword. Open the official Releases page and confirm you are on a stable tag that ships XWord-Windows.exe for this crossword path, not a renamed mirror setup from a review portal.
2. Download XWord-Windows.exe first. Prefer XWord-Windows.exe for a normal Windows crossword client install. No winget package id was found on this review date, so keep the Releases exe as the Windows door.
3. Or take XWord-macOS.zip on the same tag. On macOS, prefer XWord-macOS.zip from the same tag. Extract the app and open it. Linux has no prebuilt binary on the current tag; source build steps remain UNVERIFIED.
4. Confirm XWord opens. Run the Windows exe or open the macOS app so the crossword window appears before you load a puzzle file.
5. Open a .puz or .jpz puzzle. Use File, Open and choose an Across Lite .puz, jpz, or other supported crossword file. Prove one local solve before changing layouts.
6. Optional timer, check, and layout. Use the Solution menu for check and reveal, start the timer when you want timed crossword practice, and rearrange panes after one puzzle works.
7. Keep one update door. Return to the same GitHub Releases filename for the next bump. Skip adware wrappers that only rank for crossword.
8. Optional Package Manager later. Tools, Package Manager can add Lua packages and puzzle downloaders. Prefer the Releases binary first so Windows and macOS desks share one tag family.

After those steps, keep one door forever. Mixing adware wrappers with GitHub Releases on the same PC creates duplicate installs and confused uninstalls. Guide: first run.

First hour after install

Open one small .puz, confirm across and down lists scroll, start the timer once, and try check letter before you reveal a whole grid. Save the puzzle under a folder you control. Layout changes wait until that first crossword file opens cleanly. Checklist: installed.

Optional Package Manager downloads can wait. Preferences for colors and fonts can wait. The first hour is proof that your crossword binary matches the tag you intended.

How to choose a crossword client

Pick Across Lite when you only need the classic Windows .puz habit and already trust that installer. Pick a browser board when you cannot install software. Pick a subscription archive when you want a newspaper vault with sync. Pick XWord when you want GPL-3.0 source, named Releases assets, and offline crossword solving with richer formats.

• Need .puz plus jpz and rebus on one desk → XWord
• Need Store or newspaper sync → keep that vendor app
• Need zero install → browser crossword only

Longer comparison: vs Across Lite. Switch notes: switch from Across Lite.

XWord compared with other crossword options

The table below is a desk comparison, not a ranking of store listings. Across Lite wins at classic Windows familiarity. This crossword client wins at local GPL-3.0 play with public source.

Across Lite still wins when you want the familiar Litsoft window. Browser boards still win when install rights are missing. Subscription apps still win for full archives. XWord is the crossword path when you want a GPL-3.0 window, named Releases assets, and files on disk. Longer comparison: vs Across Lite.

Free client vs paid seats

XWord itself is free under GPL-3.0. GitHub Releases assets named above have no paywall for the client. You may still pay for newspaper subscriptions if you keep those apps as a fallback for archives.

Subscription platforms sell archive access and sync. Those purchases do not replace a local crossword client, and this guide does not sell those seats. If you already have a newspaper account, keep it until a local habit sticks.

Mistakes that undo a crossword install

Downloading a second Softonic copy to fix a blocked first run. Expecting newspaper sync inside a GPL window. Skipping the first local .puz and jumping into Package Manager. Mixing a source build with the Windows exe on the same user without notes.

• Take the exe or zip from GitHub Releases, not a renamed portal.
• Prove one local puzzle before chasing rebus or diagramless modes.
• Write the update door on the machine ticket.
• Keep subscription apps as a fallback, not as the installer.
• Do not invent a winget or brew id that was not found.

Fix each mistake the same way: one honest door, one proven puzzle, one documented path. Switch habits: switch from Across Lite.

Guides index

Install guides cover Windows, macOS, and Linux source. Setup guides cover first run, formats, timer and check, safety, Package Manager, and update/uninstall. Comparison and switch pages help when Across Lite or a browser board is already in use. Browse all: guides.

Repeatable desk habits

Write the update door on the machine ticket beside the OS version. Windows exe, macOS zip, and Linux source are different doors. Mixing them without notes creates duplicate installs and confused uninstalls after a reimage.

Family PCs, club laptops, and lab images all benefit from the same boring rhythm: one installer door, one puzzle folder, one documented layout. That is how a local crossword habit stays boring for everyday crossword desks in a good way.

Everyday limits

XWord does not replace a newspaper subscription archive. It does not make a cryptic clue easier by itself. It does not remove the need to trust the exe or zip you downloaded. Offline use still needs network for the first download.

Settings that matter early

Puzzle folder location, timer habits, and whether you check letters or reveal whole words matter more than decorative colors. Prove a local crossword open before you chase Package Manager sources. Format guide: formats.

After the first puzzle

Only after one .puz works should you add downloaders, heavy layout tweaks, or a Linux source build. Keep Releases bookmarked. Prefer the same tag family that still ships your OS asset. Update guide: update uninstall.

Keeping the job name clear

Here crossword means a local client you install and operate. A review portal that only ranks for the head term is still the wrong binary. Prefer XWord-Windows.exe or XWord-macOS.zip, then prove one puzzle before you batch packages.

When someone pastes a random “best download” link into chat, ask for the GitHub Releases URL instead. The install path on this guide always returns to mrichards42/xword.

Subscription seats still win when purchasing requires vendor support and full archives. Browser-only boards still win when install rights are missing. Across Lite still wins for operators who already live in that Windows habit. Choose XWord when you want GPL-3.0 builds, exact Releases names, and a desk path that does not start with a signup.

Across Bind publishes the install guide. Upstream XWord remains at mrichards42/xword under GPL-3.0. When Releases change which OS assets appear, re-check the live list before you image a lab.

Lab and travel notes

Travel laptops benefit from a single documented installer door written beside the puzzle folder. Lab images drift when someone installs a second mirror during a blocked SmartScreen prompt. Prefer returning to the same Releases URL instead of inventing a new download mid-flight.

Club machines should receive the client on hardware they control, plus a shared note for the update door. Shared desks should keep Across Lite or browser boards available as a fallback until the local habit sticks for the whole room.

Classroom images should pin the exact filename beside the OS version. After every reimage, prove one short local crossword open before you call the machine ready. That habit catches vanished portable folders and adware shortcuts that reappear from old bookmark exports.

Command-line users who already live in source builds can keep that Linux path. Treat the Windows exe as the windowed path for teammates who need the same tag as macOS. The two can share habits when the room documents which path is official for demos.

How do I install crossword on Windows?

Download the current XWord-Windows.exe from GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword and run the installer. No winget package id was found on this review date, so keep the Releases exe as the Windows crossword door. Guide: install on Windows. Keep one door so the next client bump stays honest.

Where should I download a crossword app?

Prefer GitHub Releases for mrichards42/xword when you need XWord-Windows.exe or XWord-macOS.zip. Skip Softonic-style wrappers that rename the setup for a search ranking. Details: download safe. Keep downloads on the project release list so the crossword binary matches the tag you expect.

Is this crossword software free?

XWord is free under GPL-3.0. GitHub Releases assets named above have no paywall for the client. This guide does not sell newspaper seats, and subscription ads or paywalls stay separate from that client licence. Docs and source stay on the public GitHub repository for mrichards42/xword.

Can I switch into this crossword client from Across Lite?

Yes. Install XWord, open the same .puz files you already keep, then keep Across Lite as a fallback if you still want that familiar window. Guide: switch from Across Lite. Comparison context: vs Across Lite. Across Lite preferences do not transfer into XWord automatically.

Does the desktop crossword client work offline?

After the first download, XWord can solve offline with the installed Windows build or extracted macOS app already on disk. You still need network for the first fetch, and for Package Manager downloads later if you choose those doors. Offline habits: first run and first hour. A desk install does not require a store account.