# SQL Play vs SQL Challenge

The clearest difference is price: SQL Play at Free against SQL Challenge's $2.99. SQL Challenge's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SQL Play is free to download; SQL Challenge costs $2.99 up front. SQL Play sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SQL Challenge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SQL Play ships an update every 3 months, SQL Challenge weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SQL Play | SQL Challenge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[3.4 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-play-learn-sql/id1546888933/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **38** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 38 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shivam Kumar](https://appshunter.io/developer/1546888935) | [MUSTAFA GURBUZ](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777685795) |

## What reviewers say

### SQL Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-play-learn-sql/id1546888933)

Learn and practice SQL directly on your phone without installing complex software. This app provides built-in tables and over 45 syntaxes with examples to help you master SQL queries. It supports dark mode and allows data export to CSV.

**Highlights:** SQL runner on mobile, 10+ inbuilt practice tables, 45+ SQL syntaxes with examples, DDL, DML, DQL support, Dark mode theme, Export data to CSV, Query history and auto-complete

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SQL Play Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for learning SQL
- 👍 Helpful for beginners
- 👍 Simple interface
- 👍 Useful for practicing SQL
- 👍 Explains commands step-by-step

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Broken and unusable
- 🐛 Syntax errors on launch
- 🐛 Query box does not clear
- 🐛 Shows errors near SELECT
- 🐛 Tutorial impossible to use

**Reported bugs**

- Items smushed together on download
- Syntax errors on first launch
- Query box does not clear
- Errors near SELECT even with correct query
- Cannot open pro even after activation

**Requested features**

- Solid update required
- Hire better iOS developers
- Show databases function
- Show tables function
- Add 'desc' command


### SQL Challenge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sql-challenge/id6809016873)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Path | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SQL Play free?

SQL Play is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SQL Challenge free?

SQL Challenge costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Do SQL Play or SQL Challenge have ads?

SQL Play shows ads; SQL Challenge does not.

### Which is updated more often, SQL Play or SQL Challenge?

SQL Play ships an update every 3 months, and SQL Challenge weekly. Most recently, SQL Play was updated on October 13, 2026 and SQL Challenge on October 6, 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.*