Tip Jar · Voluntary Support

Keep the Puzzles Flowing

Puzz.com has been free since 1999. If our 47,000+ puzzles and multiplayer games help train your mind, consider a small tip to keep the lights on and servers humming.

Why Tip?

25 years free — ads cover most of it, tips cover the rest

Puzz.com has run on advertising revenue since 1999. That's worked for solo puzzles, where the cost per visitor is low. Multiplayer changed the math — live game servers cost considerably more than static puzzle pages. Tips help us bridge the gap so we can keep multiplayer free for everyone who wants to play.

25 years free & counting

Puzz.com launched in 1999. Since then, every crossword, word search, and sudoku has been freely playable, no signup required. We've kept that promise through internet booms, busts, and a couple of platform shifts. Tips help us keep keeping it.

Multiplayer servers cost more than static pages

A static crossword page can serve thousands of solvers per dollar of hosting. A live multiplayer match needs persistent connections, real-time state synchronization, anti-cheat checks, and a game server that can't be cached. Multiplayer is genuinely more expensive to run — tips help cover the difference.

Ads alone don't fund expansion

Display ads cover hosting and a modest team, but they don't fund new puzzle categories, new multiplayer modes, AI-coaching features, or the broader Grande Web Network of educational sites. Tips give us breathing room to invest in what comes next without raising the floor on free-tier limits.

Tips are no-strings support

Tipping isn't a payment for premium features — if you want premium features, see our pricing page. A tip is just voluntary support that helps us keep doing what we do. No subscription, no recurring charge, no obligation. One-time, one charge, done.

Choose an Amount

Tip what feels right

Any amount helps. The suggested amounts below are sized for one-time tips that won't strain anyone's budget. Use the custom amount if a different number feels more accurate to how much Puzz.com means to you.

$3
Coffee Tip

Roughly the cost of a small coffee. A simple thank-you that says you appreciate the puzzles.

Tip $3
$10
Generous Tip

A larger thank-you that meaningfully supports multiplayer server costs. Genuinely appreciated.

Tip $10
Custom
Any Amount

Pick the amount that feels right to you. Anything from $1 upward.

$
Tip Custom
Where Tips Go

Every dollar accounted for

We're a small independent team and we use every tip thoughtfully. Here's roughly how tip revenue is allocated across the costs of keeping Puzz.com running and growing.

Server Costs 45%

Multiplayer game servers (which can't be cached and need persistent connections), Cloudflare bandwidth across the empire, database hosting for puzzle archives and user accounts, and the CDN that delivers 47,000+ puzzles to solvers worldwide without lag.

Content Creation 30%

New crossword, word-search, and sudoku puzzles each month. Themed weeks (holiday packs, themed multiplayer events). Tournament prizes and curated puzzle packs for premium subscribers. Staff time for editorial quality control.

Network Development 25%

Building out the broader Grande Web Network of educational puzzle and word-tool sites — puzzledepot.com, a2zwordfinder.com, a2zwords.com. The more sites we run successfully, the lower the marginal cost of each one, which means we can keep Puzz.com's free tier as generous as possible.

Other Ways to Support

Not in a position to tip? Here's how else you can help

Money is one form of support and we're grateful for it, but it's not the only thing that helps Puzz.com thrive. Any of the following make a real difference too.

Share Puzz.com with a friend

Word-of-mouth is how we've grown for 25 years. If a relative or friend would enjoy our puzzles, send them the link — especially the multiplayer rooms, which are way more fun with people you actually know.

Share on Twitter →

Subscribe to the Daily Gazette

Our free daily newsletter delivers a fresh puzzle, a strategy tip, and a multiplayer event notice every morning. Newsletter subscribers are our most engaged users — signing up is genuinely useful for both sides.

Subscribe free →

Leave a review

If you've enjoyed Puzz.com, a Trustpilot or G2 review (or just a comment on a multiplayer forum) helps other solvers find us. Reviews aren't a vanity metric — they actually drive new users who become tomorrow's regulars.

Review on Trustpilot →

Become a curator

If you have expertise in a puzzle vertical (cryptic crosswords, advanced sudoku variants, themed word puzzles) and want to help curate content, we're always interested in talking. Email [email protected] with your background.

Email us →
FAQ

Questions about tipping

Honest answers to common tip-jar questions. If something isn't covered, email [email protected].

Is my tip tax-deductible?
No. Puzz.com is a for-profit business (part of the Grande Web Network), not a nonprofit. Tips are voluntary support payments and are not tax-deductible. If tax-deductible donations matter to you, please consider supporting a literacy or education nonprofit instead — they need the help more than we do.
Will tipping unlock premium features?
No. Tips are voluntary support, not a payment for features. If you want premium features (unlimited multiplayer, ranked matchmaking, adaptive difficulty, ad-free, AI cognitive coaching), see our pricing page to choose a subscription tier. The tip jar exists for people who want to support what we already do, not unlock more of it.
Can I tip more than $10?
Yes — use the custom amount field to enter any amount. Stripe Checkout accepts amounts from $1 up to $999. If you want to give more than that, email [email protected] and we'll arrange it. (Genuinely. Larger one-time supporters are rare and we like to personally thank them.)
Where exactly does the money go?
Roughly 45 percent covers server costs (especially the multiplayer game servers, which are significantly more expensive to run than static puzzle pages), 30 percent funds content creation (new puzzles, themed weeks, multiplayer events), and 25 percent supports development of the broader Grande Web Network of educational puzzle and word-tool sites. See the allocation breakdown above for more detail.
Can I tip anonymously?
Yes. Stripe Checkout collects your card information (required to process the payment), but you don't have to provide a name or email. We don't display a public tippers list — your support stays between us. If you want a thank-you email, leave your email in the optional field at checkout.
Do you accept cryptocurrency?
Not currently. We use Stripe for all payment processing, which handles credit and debit cards plus Apple Pay and Google Pay where available. If cryptocurrency tipping becomes a frequent request, we'll consider adding it — let us know if it would matter to you.
Will tipping put me on a recurring charge?
No. Tips are strictly one-time charges. There's no subscription, no monthly renewal, no surprise rebill. If you want to support us regularly, the subscription tiers on the pricing page are the right tool — they're explicitly designed for ongoing support and they unlock features in return. The tip jar is for one-time gestures of appreciation.
What if I tip and change my mind?
Email [email protected] within 7 days of your tip and we'll refund it, no questions asked. Tipping should feel good, not regrettable. (That said, we keep tip refunds extremely rare — in 25 years it's only happened a handful of times.)

Thank you, sincerely

Whether you tipped, subscribed, shared the site with a friend, or just kept playing the free puzzles every day — you're the reason Puzz.com has been here for 25 years. Every solver matters. Every tip helps. We don't take any of it for granted, and we're committed to keeping the puzzles flowing for the next 25 years too.