Word Search Makers Compared
Puzzlemaker, WordMint, Word Search Labs, TheWordSearch and our own maker, side by side. Every fact about the other tools comes from their own public pages, linked below, and was checked on . Where they do something we don’t, we say so.
By the Custom Word Searches team · Updated
| Feature | Custom Word Searches | Puzzlemaker | WordMint | Word Search Labs | TheWordSearch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | The page names no price; no sign-in on the formsource | Free plan; Upgraded $5.99/mo or $47.90/yrsource | Free; optional $9.95 lifetime membershipsource | Free (“100% free to play”)source |
| Account needed | No | No sign-in on the formsource | Has sign-up; free plan is limitedsource | No (“no registration is required”)source | No sign-in on the maker formsource |
| Ads | Yes, Google ads keep it free | Discovery Education promo bannerssource | Not stated | None (“there are no ads”)source | Not stated |
| PDF download | Yes, free, US Letter or A4 | Output is an image or HTMLsource | Upgraded plan only (“Save as PDF: No” on free)source | Through your browser’s print-to-PDFsource | Printing offered; no PDF mentionedsource |
| Answer key | Yes, free, on its own page | No answer-key setting on the formsource | Not stated on pricing | With your puzzle’s passcode; any puzzle’s key with membershipsource | Not stated |
| Choose directions (diagonal, backwards) | Yes, all 8, or easy / medium / hard | No direction setting; only letter sharingsource | Not stated | Yes, all 8 directionssource | No settings shownsource |
| Grid size | You choose, up to 40×40, or auto-fit | Up to 40×40source | Not stated | You choosesource | Set by the site; 10–30 words, 14 letters maxsource |
| Shapes | 18 shapes (heart, pumpkin, tree…) | No shape setting on the formsource | Not stated | Yes, 30+ layouts plus your ownsource | No settings shownsource |
| Hidden message, clues, bent words | All three | Hidden message is a separate puzzle typesource | Not stated for word searches | Clues (question/answer style)source | No settings shownsource |
| Solve online | No, made for printing (share links reopen the puzzle) | Not offered on the form (image or HTML output)source | Not stated | Yes, share a link to solve it onlinesource | Yes, “instantly playable on-line”source |
| Ready-made library | 94 printable themes, each with versions | None on the pagesource | 300,000+ pre-made puzzles (limited on free)source | Public puzzles to browsesource | “Thousands ready to play online”, by categorysource |
| Other puzzle types | Crossword, word scramble, bingo | Criss-cross, mazes, cryptograms, math squares and moresource | Crosswords, bingo, worksheets, bubble testssource | Crosswords on its sister site CrosswordLabssource | Hangmansource |
“Not stated” means the tool’s public pages we checked don’t say either way. It doesn’t mean the feature is missing.
Which word search maker should you pick?
- Pick Puzzlemaker if you want one place for many classic classroom puzzle types (criss-cross, mazes, cryptograms, math squares) and a plain worksheet look. Its word search has fewer options: no direction or answer-key settings on the form.
- Pick WordMint if you’re a teacher who wants a big library of pre-made puzzles, clip art, Word export and other worksheet types, and you’ll pay for the Upgraded plan ($5.99/mo or $47.90/yr) to print without limits and save PDFs.
- Pick Word Search Labs if you want no ads at all, puzzles students can solve online, embeds for your own website, or many shape layouts. A $9.95 lifetime membership adds a dashboard, privacy controls and answer keys for any puzzle.
- Pick TheWordSearch if you want a quick puzzle from 10–30 words that people play in the browser, or a pre-made puzzle on a pop-culture topic. Its puzzles are deleted after 60 days without use.
- Pick Custom Word Searches if you print: a free PDF with the answer key, full control over size and the eight directions, shapes, hidden messages, clue mode and bent words, with no account. It shows ads, and it doesn’t let people solve puzzles online.
Is Puzzlemaker still free and working?
Yes, as far as we can see. On October 21, 2026, Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker word search page was online with no sign-in on the form. It makes grids up to 40 by 40 letters with up to 2,000 characters of words, and gives you an image or HTML. It has no settings for word directions, shapes or an answer key. If you need those, or a PDF, try our word search maker.
Is WordMint free?
It has a free plan with limits. On WordMint’s pricing page, the free plan can create word searches, but printing is “Limited” and “Save as PDF” is not included. The Upgraded plan is $5.99 a month or $47.90 a year. Our maker and word search generator download a PDF with the answer key for free.
Sources
- Puzzlemaker word search page, checked October 21, 2026
- WordMint pricing, checked October 21, 2026
- WordMint home page, checked October 21, 2026
- Word Search Labs home page, checked October 21, 2026
- Word Search Labs about/FAQ, checked October 21, 2026
- Word Search Labs membership (login page), checked October 21, 2026
- TheWordSearch maker page, checked October 21, 2026
- TheWordSearch home page, checked October 21, 2026
Prices are in US dollars as shown on each site. Spotted something out of date? The other tools change; we re-check this page every six months.
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