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The Cheapest Tools Every Puzzle Creator Needs (Save Money While Publishing)

Starting a puzzle-publishing business can feel overwhelming, especially when you see other creators using expensive software, paid generators, and complicated design tools. But one of the biggest surprises for new puzzle creators is this: You don’t need to spend much money to create high-quality puzzle books. In fact, many successful creators get started using tools that are completely free.

Whether you’re creating word searches for Amazon KDP, printable puzzle packs for Etsy, or activity sheets for teachers, this guide will walk you through the best low-cost or free tools you can use to build your entire puzzle business without breaking your budget.

These are the tools experienced puzzle creators recommend, use every day, and quietly rely on. They’re reliable, easy to learn, and perfect if you want to publish more while spending less. Let’s go through them one by one.

1. WordGenFree – A Completely Free Word Search Generator That Does the Job Well

If your main puzzle type is word searches, WordGenFree is easily one of the most useful tools you can use. Word searches are one of the most popular puzzle types on Amazon KDP, Etsy, and in printable classrooms, and this generator makes creating them incredibly fast. You simply paste a word list, adjust a few settings, and the puzzle appears instantly. No watermark, no locked features, and no confusing menus.

What makes it stand out is how flexible it is. You can use it for holiday themes, educational puzzles, niche topics, and even large print versions for seniors. Being able to generate unlimited puzzles for free is a huge advantage when you’re trying to produce books and digital packs on a budget. Many creators start their entire puzzle business using nothing except this tool and Canva, which is proof of how powerful it is despite being free.

2. PuzzleMaker by Discovery Education – Simple but Reliable Puzzles for Beginners

PuzzleMaker is one of the oldest and most trusted free puzzle generators on the internet. It may not have a modern interface, but it gets the job done with no hassle. You can create a variety of puzzles, including word searches, mazes, criss-cross puzzles, cryptograms, and number scrambles. If you want to create mixed-puzzle activity books, beginner puzzle books, or classroom worksheet sets, this tool is extremely helpful.

The designs are basic, which is not a downside for puzzle buyers. In fact, customers often prefer clean, readable puzzles instead of flashy or overly stylised ones. Teachers especially value easy-to-read puzzles. For creators who want to diversify beyond word searches without paying for software, PuzzleMaker is the perfect entry point. I used this before I made wordgenfree.

3. Canva – The Number One Free Tool for Covers, Interiors, and Layouts

Even if you don’t consider yourself a designer, Canva makes it easy to create professional-looking puzzle book interiors and covers. Best of all, the free version is more powerful than many people realise.

The drag-and-drop interface makes it simple to place puzzles, add page numbers, choose fonts, and adjust spacing. You can easily export your finished design as a high-quality PDF ready for KDP upload. While the paid version has more images and templates, you absolutely do not need Canva Pro to design great puzzle books. The free plan is more than enough to get started and even enough to publish dozens of books.

4. Google Docs – The Best Free Way to Write Instructions and Extra Text

Most puzzle books need more than just puzzles. They usually include small sections of text such as:

Google Docs is ideal for this kind of writing. It is free, cloud-based, and automatically saves your work. You can easily copy your text into Canva or export it as a Word file to combine with your puzzle pages. It keeps your writing clean, consistent, and easy to revise later. That makes it perfect for puzzle creators who want to keep things simple and free. This is great for organising different ideas or stuff.

5. LibreOffice – A Completely Free Alternative to Microsoft Word

Many tutorials tell you to use Microsoft Word to format puzzle books, but Word requires a subscription that can add up over time. LibreOffice Writer is a free alternative that looks and works almost exactly like Word.

It’s a helpful tool if you prefer traditional document editing over design platforms like Canva. Many puzzle creators who make large interior files use LibreOffice because it’s reliable and doesn’t cost anything.

6. GIMP – A Free, Professional-Grade Image Editor

If you ever need to adjust the appearance of puzzle images, fix contrast, sharpen lines, or resize graphics, GIMP is one of the best free image editors available. Think of it as Photoshop without the price tag.

This tool is especially helpful if you create high-quality puzzle interiors and want your pages to look consistent and professional.

7. The Amazon KDP Cover Calculator – A Free Tool That Prevents Costly Mistakes

One of the biggest challenges for new KDP publishers is making a cover that fits perfectly. If your cover is even slightly mis-sized, Amazon will reject your upload. The KDP Cover Calculator gives you the exact measurements you need based on trim size, page count, paper type, and bleed settings. It also generates a downloadable template you can bring directly into Canva or any design software.

This tool prevents a lot of frustration and saves you time, and best of all, it’s free and available directly from Amazon.

Putting Everything Together Without Spending Money

If you use the tools in this list, you can create a full puzzle publishing workflow at zero cost. Here is what that might look like:

You can follow this exact process to create your first puzzle book, your first Etsy digital pack, or even your first classroom resource bundle. As you start earning money, you may eventually choose to upgrade to paid tools. But you don’t have to until you’re ready. The most important thing is getting started, and this set of tools makes that possible for anyone, even on a very tight budget.

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