# Sudoku ▦ vs Microsoft Sudoku

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sudoku ▦ at none against Microsoft Sudoku's 2. Sudoku ▦ also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (104K vs 7.6K). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Sudoku sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Sudoku ▦ asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sudoku ▦ against 4.7 for Microsoft Sudoku. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sudoku ▦ has 104K ratings behind it against 7.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 38% and 38% positive.

Sudoku ▦ ships an update every 2 weeks, Microsoft Sudoku every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sudoku ▦ | Microsoft Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (104K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id1407780576/reviews) | **[4.7 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-sudoku/id1462494195/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **104K** | 7.6K |
| Positive reviews | 37.6% of reviews | **37.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 249 MB | 162 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tripledot Studios Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1191319103) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### Sudoku ▦

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id1407780576)

Enjoy the classic paper-and-pencil puzzle game on your phone with a clean, elegant design. Challenge your mind with multiple difficulty levels and helpful tools to aid your solving experience.

**Highlights:** Thousands of free puzzles, Classic Sudoku design, Pencil mode for notes, Highlight duplicates, Optional mistake limit, Four difficulty levels, Customizable appearance

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Great game
- 💡 Challenging levels
- 📊 Useful statistics and insights
- 🧠 Brain-stimulating

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 Too many ads
- 🕰️ Ads disrupt gameplay
- 🔇 Loud ads disrupt audio
- 🔋 High battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing and crashing issues
- Incorrect number placement detection
- Daily challenge progress not saving properly

**Requested features**

- Option to pay to remove ads
- More customization options
- Ability to reset puzzles
- Improved performance on older devices


### Microsoft Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-sudoku/id1462494195)

Enjoy classic and irregular Sudoku puzzles with multiple difficulty levels and daily challenges. Customize your experience with various themes and input methods. Sign in to save progress and earn achievements.

**Highlights:** 6 difficulty levels for classic and irregular Sudoku, 3 new daily challenges each day, Multiple themes including symbol-based, In-game note-taking feature, Xbox Live achievements and cloud saving, Detailed statistics tracking, Customizable game settings

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly Subscription | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and fast gameplay
- 🔒 Robust security features
- 👍 Variety of puzzle types
- 👍 Customizable options
- 👍 Great for beginners and experts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Ads play audio even in silent mode
- 🔋 Excessive ads and intrusive monetization
- 🐛 Progress not saving properly
- 🐛 Compatibility issues on certain devices

**Reported bugs**

- Daily challenge progress not syncing across devices
- Levels and scores resetting unexpectedly
- App getting stuck on loading screens
- Ads hijacking device controls and interrupting background audio

**Requested features**

- Landscape mode support for tablets
- More customization options for notes and highlighting
- Ability to replay past daily challenges
- Improved undo/redo functionality
- Autofill or auto-complete options for advanced players


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sudoku ▦ free?

Sudoku ▦ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Microsoft Sudoku free?

Microsoft Sudoku is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sudoku ▦ or Microsoft Sudoku?

Microsoft Sudoku is rated higher. Sudoku ▦ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 104K ratings, while Microsoft Sudoku averages 4.7 from 7.6K ratings.

### Do Sudoku ▦ or Microsoft Sudoku have ads?

Both Sudoku ▦ and Microsoft Sudoku show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sudoku ▦ or Microsoft Sudoku?

Sudoku ▦ ships an update every 2 weeks, and Microsoft Sudoku every 2 months. Most recently, Sudoku ▦ was updated on November 11, 2026 and Microsoft Sudoku on November 11, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*