Comparison

Sudoku Master Edition vs GridSmash

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Sudoku Master Edition

This app offers a comprehensive Sudoku experience with numerous customization options, multiple game modes, and difficulty levels. It features a minimalist design, daily challenges, and Apple Pencil integration for a pen-and-paper feel.

Highlights
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • Multiple game modes (Lightning, Mistake, Classic, Zen)
  • 5 difficulty levels
  • Adjustable grid styles
  • Note-taking and highlighting features
  • Apple Pencil integration
  • Daily reminders and auto-complete
Features
Read full description

***FEATURED AS APPLE'S GAME OF THE DAY IN 40+ COUNTRIES*** SUDOKU MASTER EDITION is classic Sudoku with a wardrobe. Play across dozens of custom themes, jump into limited-time events, and pick your fight across five difficulty levels from Easy to Master. Beautiful, minimalist, and built to keep you coming back. Whether you're a daily solver or just getting hooked, here's what's inside: THEMES & EVENTS - Dozens of custom themes to make the board truly yours - Exclusive limited-time events with rewards you won't find anywhere else - 13 app icons and 26 hand-picked fonts to match your style - Sleek Dark theme for late-night solving PLAY YOUR WAY - Five difficulty levels, from a gentle Easy to a brutal Master - Lightning Mode for fast, high-energy solving - Zen Mode for a calm, distraction-free pen-and-paper feel - Mistake Mode or Classic Mode, however you like to play - Adjustable grid styles and a modern color palette that's easy on the eyes SMART TOOLS - Highlight Helper to spot your next move - Notes for jotting down possibilities (or secret messages, we won't tell) - Auto-complete and Quick Start to skip the busywork - Daily reminders so you never break your streak - In-app tutorial and help for when you need a hand APPLE PENCIL (compatible iPad & Apple Pencil) - A true pen-and-paper experience: scribble numbers and notes by hand - Built-in Notepad to sketch ideas and erase with a tap - No Pencil? Just toggle the notepad off and play as normal Relaxing original soundtrack by EARLYGUARD, endless customization, and more on the way. Download SUDOKU MASTER EDITION and find your perfect game.

About

GridSmash

Features
Read full description

GridSmash is an addictive block puzzle game that's easy to learn but hard to put down. HOW TO PLAY Drag and drop colorful blocks onto the 8×8 grid. Fill complete rows or columns to clear them and score points. Plan ahead — the game ends when no more pieces fit! FOUR GAME MODES • Classic — Pure puzzle strategy. How high can you score? • Modified — Weekly rotating challenges with locked tiles, hot zones, and bonus multipliers that keep every game fresh • Daily Challenge — Same puzzle for everyone, worldwide. Hit the target score and compete on the global leaderboard • Zen — Endless relaxation. No game over, no pressure. Just play FEATURES • Daily Challenges with global CloudKit leaderboards • Streak rewards — play daily to earn coins and unlock themes • 5 color themes to unlock and customize your board • Combo system — chain clears together for massive score multipliers • Detailed stats tracking across all game modes • Haptic feedback and satisfying sound effects • Works great on iPhone and iPad Download GridSmash free and start smashing!

Screenshots

Sudoku Master Edition4 screens
GridSmash4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: GridSmash at 100% against Sudoku Master Edition's 63%. GridSmash also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sudoku Master Edition sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. GridSmash asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sudoku Master Edition ships an update every 3 weeks, GridSmash every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Sudoku Master Edition versus GridSmash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSudoku Master EditionGridSmash
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (7.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size120 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHoolatron StudiosThomas Halls

Customer experience

Sudoku Master Edition

All ratings7,903 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral3.7%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews380 reviews
Positive63.4%
Neutral12.6%
Negative23.9%

GridSmash

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Sudoku Master Edition

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes after completing puzzles
  • Handwriting recognition issues with certain numbers
  • Saved games disappearing
  • Inconsistent behavior when using pencil input
  • Inability to enter wrong numbers
Show 1 more
  • Bugs introduced with recent updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to import custom puzzles
  • More themes and color options
  • Improved undo/redo functionality
  • Ability to differentiate user-entered numbers from pre-filled numbers
Show 5 more
  • Larger game board size
  • Difficulty progression that feels more balanced
  • Hint system that doesn't reveal full solutions
  • Multiplayer or leaderboard features
  • Ability to pause and resume games

GridSmash

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Sudoku Master Edition

One-time2
  • Premium Theme Credit$0.99
  • Remove Ads$7.99
None

GridSmash

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sudoku Master Edition free?
Sudoku Master Edition is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GridSmash free?
GridSmash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sudoku Master Edition or GridSmash have ads?
Sudoku Master Edition shows ads; GridSmash does not.
Which is updated more often, Sudoku Master Edition or GridSmash?
Sudoku Master Edition ships an update every 3 weeks, and GridSmash every 2 days. Most recently, Sudoku Master Edition was updated on October 24, 2026 and GridSmash on October 25, 2026.

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