Sudoklue vs Cracking the Cryptic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sudoklue
Learn to solve any Sudoku puzzle with step-by-step, math-free instructions. Input puzzles from external sources or generate your own, with adjustable difficulty levels. Master solving techniques and receive detailed hints and analysis.
- Step-by-step solving instructions
- Math-free approach
- Input puzzles from any source
- Generate custom puzzles
- Learn primary solving techniques
- Detailed hints and analysis
- Virtual pencil for notes
Read full descriptionHide full description
Sudoklue will teach you how to solve any puzzle with step-by-step, easy to follow instructions — using absolutely no math. Input a puzzle from a newspaper or have Sudoklue create one for you, choosing from five levels of difficulty. Bored with other Sudoku apps? Sudoklue can generate true expert-level puzzles & teach you all the solving techniques needed to solve them, step by step! With Sudoklue, puzzle and logic complexity can remain basic, or if you choose - can climb up into "pull your hair out" levels. Features: – Work on puzzles from any newspaper, magazine, or book – Create your own, one of a kind puzzles – Learn all of the primary solving techniques – Get detailed and easy to understand hints – Get a complete puzzle analysis and difficulty rating – Solve any Sudoku – Virtual pencil for making notes – Includes full Undo/Redo – Verify your current work with the tap of a button – Fill all pencil marks with the tap of a button Sudoklue will give you as much or as little help as you like. It will teach you, step by step, how to use logic to solve any puzzle you can find!
Cracking the Cryptic
This app offers a curated collection of handcrafted Sudoku puzzles from world-renowned constructors. Explore classic and unique variants, with new puzzle packs released regularly. A free introductory pack is included with download.
- Handcrafted Sudoku puzzles
- Curated by expert constructors
- Classic and unique variants
- Regularly released puzzle packs
- Free introductory puzzle pack
Read full descriptionHide full description
OUR NEWEST PACK – CLASSIC VOLUME #2! Classic sudoku is where it all began, and there is still lots of skill to be deployed to solve classic puzzles, and new techniques to be explored. Nikoli, the Japanese puzzle house, named and popularised sudoku from 1984, and we have commissioned 20 puzzles from them for this Classic Sudoku 2 app. We have also created 20 ourselves, and sourced 20 more from Sam Cappleman-Lynes, the brilliant British sudoku expert. The result is a wonderful 60-puzzle pack which will delight and challenge you. -------------------- Welcome to the brand new Sudoku app from the most popular Sudoku channel, Cracking The Cryptic. Unlike other Sudoku apps, we feature handcrafted and curated puzzles from the world’s best Sudoku constructors. Each collection features puzzles made by various authors that are now familiar names to those who follow the channel. Authors like Phistomefel, Clover, Sam Cappleman-Lynes, Christoph Seeliger, Richard Stolk, jovi_al, Qodec, Prasanna Seshadri and of course, Simon and Mark! Downloading Cracking the Cryptic will give you access to our first free collection – a variety pack by Prasanna Seshadri featuring 7 puzzles inspired from our previous Sudoku apps; Sandwich, Classic, Chess, Thermo, Miracle, Killer and Arrow Sudoku. We also have purchasable packs designed for all skill levels and featuring many unique variants not seen previously. We’ll be releasing more free and paid packs in the future so keep an eye on the app for more Sudoku content from Cracking The Cryptic!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Cracking the Cryptic at Free against Sudoklue's $7.99. Cracking the Cryptic also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (210 vs 69). Sudoklue's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On review sentiment, ads 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
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download; Sudoklue costs $7.99 up front. Cracking the Cryptic sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. Sudoklue asks for nothing beyond the download.
Sudoklue holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 69 and 210 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Sudoklue's written reviews are positive against 72% of Cracking the Cryptic's.
Sudoklue ships an update every 6 months, Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sudoklue | Cracking the Cryptic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (69 ratings) — better | 4.4 (210 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better | 72.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 69 | 210 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 37 MB | 234 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Martysoft LLC | Nick Carney |
Customer experience
Sudoklue
Cracking the Cryptic
Bugs and requests
Sudoklue
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Cracking the Cryptic
Reported bugs
4 issues- Puzzle progress and purchases disappearing after updates
- Incorrect rules or hints in certain puzzles
- Crashes and freezes, especially on older devices or Macs
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes
Requested features
5 requests- Add more color options for pencil marking and highlighting
- Implement a way to clear progress or start puzzles from scratch
- Integrate all CTC apps into a single app for better organization
- Add keyboard support, especially on Mac
- Improve the quality and clarity of hints
In-app purchases
Sudoklue
No in-app purchases
Cracking the Cryptic
- CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
- CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
- CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- CTC Worms - Blobz$1.99
- CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
- CTC Worms - Phistomefel$1.99
- GAS Volume #1$2.99
- GAS Volume #2$2.99
- CTC Approachable Sudoku #1$2.99
- Domino Sudoku Pack$4.99
- Lines Variety Pack$4.99
- Classic Volume #2$4.99
- CTC Fog Pack #1$4.99
Questions
Is Sudoklue free?
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Which has better reviews, Sudoklue or Cracking the Cryptic?
Do Sudoklue or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sudoklue or Cracking the Cryptic?
Other comparisons















