NYT Mini Crossword Went Paywalled: 7 Free Alternatives (2026)
July 18, 2026
Last updated: July 2026
On August 27, 2025, with no advance notice, the New York Times moved the Mini Crossword behind a paywall. Along with Letter Boxed and Tiles, the Mini now requires an NYT Games subscription: $6 per month or $50 per year. Wordle and Connections stayed free.
The reaction was immediate. The backlash was covered by Kotaku and The Hill, and spawned a long Hacker News thread. The blunt reality is that a huge number of people had built a daily two-minute habit around the Mini, and that habit now costs money.
If you are not paying, here are seven alternatives worth your time.
1. AI Crossword Maker (iPhone), Our Top Pick
Free, 3 puzzles per day. No account. Any topic.
AI Crossword Maker flips the model: instead of editors choosing today's topic, you type whatever you want. A TV show you are watching, a city you are visiting, a friend's name. The AI builds a complete 5x5 mini crossword with clues in under a minute.
Three free puzzle generations per day, no subscription, no account. Crossword+ unlocks unlimited puzzles.
The honest framing: this is not an editorial crossword. There is no hand-crafted theme, no veteran constructor behind it. What it gives you is infinite variety with zero paywall. If the Mini was your daily ritual because you like a quick word puzzle, this is the cleanest replacement. If you loved the NYT editorial voice specifically, you will want to combine this with one of the browser options below.
2. LA Times Crossword
Free in the browser. Daily. Higher quality than most free options.
The Los Angeles Times crossword is one of the strongest free editorial crosswords available. The mini/quick format is available alongside the full daily puzzle, and the cluing quality is genuinely good. Many former NYT Mini solvers have moved here and stayed.
No NYT subscription needed. A free LAT account lets you save your streak and time, but you can play in the browser without one.
3. USA Today Quick Cross
Free, no account. Slightly easier cluing. Good for a fast solve.
USA Today has offered a free daily crossword for decades, and the Quick Cross format runs in the same short-and-satisfying format as the Mini. Cluing leans a little more accessible than NYT, which makes it a good choice if you found the Mini occasionally frustrating.
No account required. Works on mobile browsers without a download. Ad-supported, but no paywall.
4. Washington Post Mini
Free. Editor-curated. Clean browser experience.
The Washington Post mini crossword is fully free and runs in a clean browser UI. The Post's cluing has a reputation for being slightly sharper than USA Today, making it a better match for solvers who want the NYT Mini's edge without the price.
No subscription required. WaPo does have a paywall for news articles, but the games section has remained free.
washingtonpost.com/crossword-puzzles
5. Boston Globe Mini Crossword
Free with registration. Good editorial quality.
The Boston Globe offers a free mini crossword that is less widely cited than the NYT or LAT options but worth knowing about. The cluing quality is solid and the format is close to what Mini regulars are used to. Free registration is required.
6. word.tips Daily Crossword
Free, browser-based, no account.
word.tips runs a free daily crossword in the browser with no account or download needed. The interface is simple and the solve experience is functional. Good backup option if you want something to fill a gap between your main picks.
7. NYT Mini Crossword (Subscription Required)
$6/mo or $50/yr. The original, now paywalled.
The Mini is still the best editorial mini crossword available in terms of clue quality and constructor pedigree. If you find yourself genuinely missing the editorial voice and the daily theme, the NYT Games subscription covers the Mini plus Letter Boxed, Tiles, Spelling Bee, and the full daily crossword. At $50 per year that is around $4 per month if you use multiple games.
It is included here for completeness. But if you are reading this, you are probably looking for the free options above.
nytimes.com/crosswords/game/mini
What Happened on August 27, 2025
Users opened the NYT Games app on the morning of August 27, 2025, and found a paywall where the Mini used to be. No email. No transition period. The change applied to Letter Boxed and Tiles at the same time.
The NYT's move was not surprising in context. The Times has spent the better part of a decade converting free digital habits into paid subscriptions. Wordle was a cultural moment specifically because it stayed free. The Mini had similar reach but evidently did not have the same protection.
Wordle and Connections both remained free after August 27. They appear to serve a different function for the Times -- top-of-funnel traffic drivers that push casual users toward a subscription. The Mini, with its deeply habitual daily use, apparently cleared the bar for monetization.
Which Alternative Is Right for You
If you want topic flexibility and no account: AI Crossword Maker (iPhone).
If you want editorial quality close to NYT, free: LA Times Crossword.
If you want the fastest browser option with no login: USA Today Quick Cross.
If you want sharp cluing in a clean browser UI: Washington Post Mini.
If you are willing to pay and want everything: NYT Games subscription.
The Mini going paywalled genuinely hurt a daily habit for a lot of people. The good news is that several of the free alternatives are legitimately good puzzles, not consolation prizes. LA Times in particular is a crossword that holds up on its own terms.
For more free crossword options, see our free daily crossword roundup and the best puzzle games for adults in 2026.