The New York Times Games app is the default home for daily puzzles — Wordle, the Mini and full Crossword, Connections, Spelling Bee, Tiles, Vertex, and Letter Boxed. But in 2026 almost all of it sits behind a subscription. So the honest question is: is NYT Games worth paying for, or can you get the same daily fix for free? Here's a detailed, up-to-date breakdown.
How much does NYT Games cost in 2026?
A standalone NYT Games subscription runs about $6 per month, or roughly $40 per year when billed annually — usually the better value if you play daily. Games is also included in the more expensive “All Access” bundle alongside News, Cooking, Wirecutter, and The Athletic. New subscribers are often offered an introductory rate for the first year that then renews at the standard price, so check what you'll actually pay on renewal.
What's free without a subscription? Only the daily Wordle and a single daily Mini Crossword. Everything else — the full daily Crossword, the Crossword archive, the complete Spelling Bee, the Connections archive, and stat tracking — requires a paid plan.
NYT Games vs. Funzzle: feature comparison
| Feature | NYT Games | Funzzle (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$6/mo | Free (ad-supported) |
| Account required | Yes | No |
| Daily Wordle | Free | Free + unlimited replays |
| Daily Mini Crossword | Free | Free |
| Full daily Crossword | Paid | Not offered |
| Crossword archive | Paid (decades) | 30-day answers, free |
| Connections | Paid archive | Free daily |
| Spelling Bee | Paid (full) | Free daily |
| Streak / stat tracking | Yes | Local only |
| Ads | None | Yes |
What you're paying for
Open the NYT Games app and the value proposition is clear within a few screens. The home screen stacks each day's puzzles as cards with your current streak badges; tapping the Crossword opens a polished, responsive grid with autocheck, a reveal menu, and a timer. The archive screen is the real differentiator — a scrolling calendar stretching back years, every past Crossword and Spelling Bee a tap away. The stats screen shows win percentage, streak history, and guess distributions across devices.
The pros
- A massive Crossword archive — thousands of past puzzles.
- Cross-device streaks and detailed solve statistics.
- The complete Spelling Bee, with the full word list and hints.
- Polished, ad-free native apps and a strong editorial voice.
The cons
- A recurring cost for what many treat as a five-minute daily habit.
- The two games most people play — Wordle and the Mini — are free formats you can get elsewhere.
- Another subscription to track, and an intro price that renews higher.
Who should pay — and who shouldn't
If you solve the full daily Crossword, care about your streak history, or love a complete Spelling Bee, the subscription is a fair deal and probably worth it — the archive alone can justify the cost for a dedicated cruciverbalist. If you mostly play Wordle and the Mini, or you just want a casual daily puzzle without a recurring charge, you almost certainly do not need to pay.
That's exactly why Funzzle exists. You can play a free unlimited Wordle, a daily Mini Crossword, Connections, Spelling Bee, and more here with no paywall and no account. See the full free lineup on our free NYT Games alternative page, or read our roundup of the best free crossword apps.
The verdict
NYT Games is worth it for archive-hungry power solvers and streak keepers, and skippable for everyone else. Our advice: play the free version of your daily habit first. If you find yourself craving the deep archive and cross-device stats, you can always try NYT Games free for a few days(Sponsored) and decide from there.