Comparison

Cracking the Cryptic vs Sudokunist

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

Head to head
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!

About

Sudokunist

Features
Read full description

Why choose this app over others? Clean design, no ads, hints that explain the strategy, and you can even type in puzzles from the newspaper. Sudokunist is a minimal, focused Sudoku app for people who want to actually get better at the game. Four difficulty tiers: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Diabolical, each with a set of pre-generated puzzles, ordered from simplest to most challenging within their tier. Every puzzle is solvable by pure logic. No guessing required. When you're stuck, the hint system shows you the next logical step and explains the technique behind it: Hidden Singles, Naked Pairs, X-Wing, XY-Wing, Skyscraper, W-Wing, Swordfish, and more. So you understand what you're doing, not just what to fill in. Upgrade to Sudokunist Pro (one-time purchase, no subscription) to unlock Number-First input and My Puzzles. Features - Easy, Medium, Hard, and Diabolical difficulties - Custom puzzles - Hints that name and explain the solving technique - Pencil notes with automatic candidate cleanup - Solve history and best times - Timer, mistake highlighting, related-cell highlights - Highlight matching digits across the board - Light and dark themes Pro (one-time unlock) - Number-First input: arm a digit, tap cells to fill them instantly - My Puzzles: enter and solve any puzzle from a newspaper or book

Screenshots

Cracking the Cryptic4 screens
Sudokunist4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Cracking the Cryptic at every 3 weeks against Sudokunist's every 3 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Cracking the Cryptic sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sudokunist sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, Sudokunist every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Cracking the Cryptic versus Sudokunist: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCracking the CrypticSudokunist
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (211 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings211 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size234 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNick CarneyMaarten Peels

Bugs and 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

Sudokunist

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Cracking the Cryptic

One-time10
  • CTC Worms - James Sinclair$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Marty Sears$0.99
  • CTC Worms - Michael Lefkowitz$1.99
Show 7 more
  • 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
1 purchases

Sudokunist

One-time1
  • Sudokunist Pro$2.99

Questions

Is Cracking the Cryptic free?
Cracking the Cryptic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sudokunist free?
Sudokunist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Cracking the Cryptic or Sudokunist have ads?
Neither Cracking the Cryptic nor Sudokunist shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cracking the Cryptic or Sudokunist?
Cracking the Cryptic ships an update every 3 weeks, and Sudokunist every 3 months. Most recently, Cracking the Cryptic was updated on November 7, 2026 and Sudokunist on October 31, 2026.

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