# Microsoft Sudoku vs Apparent Sudoku

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft Sudoku at 4.7 against Apparent Sudoku's 3.4. Microsoft Sudoku also leads on ratings volume (7.5K vs 10) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). Apparent Sudoku's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Microsoft Sudoku sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Apparent Sudoku sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Microsoft Sudoku holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Sudoku has 7.5K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 38% of Microsoft Sudoku's written reviews are positive against 43% of Apparent Sudoku's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Microsoft Sudoku ships an update every 2 months, Apparent Sudoku every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Sudoku | Apparent Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-sudoku/id1462494195/reviews)** | [3.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apparent-sudoku/id1518508009/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7.5K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 37.6% of reviews | **42.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 162 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Apparent Logic, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/314496791) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Apparent Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/apparent-sudoku/id1518508009)

Experience classic Sudoku puzzles without any distractions. This app offers a clean interface, multiple difficulty levels, and advanced features like pencil marks and smart highlighting. Track your progress and compete globally with Game Center leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Four difficulty levels, Game Center Leaderboards, 50,000+ puzzles, Clean, intuitive interface, Pencil marks and smart highlighting, iCloud sync, iPad Apple Pencil support

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sudoku Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Sudoku free?

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

### Is Apparent Sudoku free?

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

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

Microsoft Sudoku is rated higher. Microsoft Sudoku averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.5K ratings, while Apparent Sudoku averages 3.4 from 10 ratings.

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

Microsoft Sudoku shows ads; Apparent Sudoku does not.

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

Microsoft Sudoku ships an update every 2 months, and Apparent Sudoku every 10 days. Most recently, Microsoft Sudoku was updated on November 6, 2026 and Apparent Sudoku on November 3, 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.*