Quick answerNYT Games is the polished all-in-one puzzle subscription; the Wordle Archive is a fan-built time machine for Wordle addicts who missed past puzzles. They barely compete — one is a product, the other is a fix.
Price
~$5/month or ~$40/year (Games subscription)
Free
Number of Games
7+ (Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Mini, Crossword, Strands, Letter Boxed)
1 (Wordle only)
Wordle Archives Available
None — daily only
All past puzzles from Day 1
Official / Sanctioned
Yes — published by The New York Times
No — fan-made, legally grey
Stats & Streak Tracking
Full stats, streaks, account sync
Basic or none depending on version
Daily New Content
Yes — multiple new puzzles every day
No new content; archive only
Mobile App
Yes — polished iOS & Android apps
Web only, mobile-responsive
Account Required
Yes for full access and saving progress
No account needed
Hard Mode
Yes
Yes (on most archive sites)
Ads
None with subscription
Some archive sites run ads
Puzzle Difficulty Range
Easy (Mini) to brutally hard (Expert Spelling Bee)
Standard Wordle difficulty only
Longevity / Stability
Backed by the NYT — very stable
Can be taken down by NYT at any time
Worth knowing
- NYT acquired Wordle from Josh Wardle in January 2022 for a reported seven-figure sum.
- The original NYT Wordle archive was shut down in early 2022, spawning dozens of fan-built replacements.
- Spelling Bee has a cult following — some players spend hours chasing 'Queen Bee' status daily.
- Unofficial Wordle archives collectively host hundreds of past puzzles, effectively preserving a piece of internet culture.
- NYT Games reportedly surpassed 1 billion plays of Wordle in its first year on the platform.
Josh Wardle originally built Wordle for just his partner — then shared it publicly in October 2021, and within 3 months it went from 90 players to 300,000. NYT bought it before it peaked. Ouch for everyone who could've offered him $100.
If you wantYou want a full daily puzzle habit with variety
NYT Games gives you Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and more in one polished app — worth the subscription if puzzles are part of your routine.
→ Pick New York Times Games If you wantYou want to binge every Wordle puzzle you ever missed
The unofficial archive is the only way to play historic Wordle puzzles — free, no account, instant nostalgia.
→ Pick Wordle Archive (Unofficial) If you wantYou're completely free and hate subscriptions
The archive is free forever (until NYT lawyers up), making it unbeatable on price for Wordle-only fans.
→ Pick Wordle Archive (Unofficial) If you wantYou care about streaks, stats, and account sync
Only NYT Games tracks your official streak and syncs across devices — your 200-day streak deserves real infrastructure.
→ Pick New York Times Games Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.