Comparison

Sudoklue vs Cracking the Cryptic

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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!

About

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.

Highlights
  • Handcrafted Sudoku puzzles
  • Curated by expert constructors
  • Classic and unique variants
  • Regularly released puzzle packs
  • Free introductory puzzle pack
Features
Read 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

Sudoklue4 screens
Cracking the Cryptic4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Sudoklue versus Cracking the Cryptic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSudoklueCracking the Cryptic
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (69 ratings) — better4.4 (210 ratings)
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews — better72.1% of reviews
Number of ratings69210 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartysoft LLCNick Carney

Customer experience

Sudoklue

All ratings69 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral7.1%
Negative14.3%

Cracking the Cryptic

All ratings208 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive72.1%
Neutral13.6%
Negative14.3%

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

None

Sudoklue

No in-app purchases

13 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time13
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Zetamath$1.99
Show 10 more
  • 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?
Sudoklue costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sudoklue or Cracking the Cryptic?
Sudoklue is rated higher. Sudoklue averages 4.8 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Cracking the Cryptic averages 4.4 from 210 ratings.
Do Sudoklue or Cracking the Cryptic have ads?
Neither Sudoklue nor Cracking the Cryptic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sudoklue or Cracking the Cryptic?
Sudoklue ships an update every 6 months, and Cracking the Cryptic every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sudoklue was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cracking the Cryptic on October 30, 2026.

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