Comparison

Dr. Sudoku vs Sudoku Labs

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

Head to head
About

Dr. Sudoku

Features
Read full description

Dr. Sudoku Sudoku originally called Number Place, is a logic-based, combinatorial number-placement puzzle. The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9. The puzzle setter provides a partially completed grid, which for a well-posed puzzle has a unique solution. Completed puzzles are always a type of Latin square with an additional constraint on the contents of individual regions. For example, the same single integer may not appear twice in the same row, column or in any of the nine 3×3 subregions of the 9x9 playing board. SUD Inc.

About

Sudoku Labs

Features
Read full description

Sudoku Labs is built for players who want clean, fast, distraction-free Sudoku. No ads. No accounts. No subscriptions. Just pure Sudoku. • Six difficulty tiers: Very Easy, Easy, Medium, Hard, Expert (Premium) and Extreme (Premium) • One global daily puzzle — the same challenge for everyone, every day • Smart pencil notes • Conflict highlighting • Optional mistake detection • Unlimited undo/redo • Offline play — no internet required • Puzzle history library Premium unlock gives you: • Expert & Extreme difficulty • +2 hints per difficulty • Increased mistake allowance • One-time purchase — no subscription, ever • Support independent development — no subscriptions, ever. Designed for focus. Built for performance. If you love Sudoku without clutter, this is your app.

Screenshots

Dr. Sudoku2 screens
Sudoku Labs4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Dr. Sudoku at none against Sudoku Labs's 1. Dr. Sudoku also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). Sudoku Labs's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months). On price and device support 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 Labs sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Dr. Sudoku asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dr. Sudoku ships an update every 6 months, Sudoku Labs weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 4 level
Dr. Sudoku versus Sudoku Labs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDr. SudokuSudoku Labs
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSUD Inc.Justin van Wijngaarden

In-app purchases

None

Dr. Sudoku

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Sudoku Labs

One-time1
  • Sudoku Labs$3.99

Questions

Is Dr. Sudoku free?
Dr. Sudoku is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sudoku Labs free?
Sudoku Labs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Dr. Sudoku or Sudoku Labs have ads?
Dr. Sudoku shows ads; Sudoku Labs does not.
Which is updated more often, Dr. Sudoku or Sudoku Labs?
Dr. Sudoku ships an update every 6 months, and Sudoku Labs weekly. Most recently, Dr. Sudoku was updated on October 7, 2026 and Sudoku Labs on October 24, 2026.

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