Comparison

Sudoku HD! vs Sudoku by Joseph

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

Head to head
About

Sudoku HD!

Experience Sudoku with a feudal Japan theme and stunning graphics. This app offers dual keypads for efficient input, smart note-taking features, and optional error checking. Enjoy multiple difficulty levels and thousands of puzzles.

Highlights
  • Dual keypad entry
  • Smart notes feature
  • Optional auto-notes
  • Optional error checking
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • Thousands of puzzles
Features
Read full description

Take a journey to feudal Japan with Sudoku Free HD. With beautiful graphics and killer features, Sudoku Free HD is the best Sudoku app available for the iPad. DUAL KEYPAD ENTRY Two separate keypads, one for entries and one for notes, allow you to enter values quickly and easily. No more tedious switching between entry mode and note mode to complete your puzzle. SMART NOTES The optional auto-notes feature enters all of the notes into the puzzle for you and keeps them updated as you solve. If you don't want that much help, the optional smart notes feature automatically deletes values from notes you have entered manually when they are no longer valid. ERROR CHECKING The optional error checker tells you when you have entered an incorrect or illogical value, allowing you to catch errors early and preventing needless frustration. MULTIPLE DIFFICULTY LEVELS Five difficulty levels, from easy to insane, ensure that you will be able to find a puzzle that matches your skill level. With 3,000 total puzzles, you won't run out of puzzles any time soon. Download Sudoku Free HD for free today and start playing Sudoku the way it was meant to be played!

About

Sudoku by Joseph

This app offers a comprehensive Sudoku experience with 12 unique puzzle variants, including classic, jigsaw, and killer modes. Enjoy daily challenges, customizable themes, and detailed statistics. Start with free variants and unlock all puzzles with a premium subscription.

Highlights
  • 12 unique Sudoku variants
  • Classic, Jigsaw, and Killer Sudoku
  • Daily Challenge puzzles
  • Multiple difficulty levels
  • 13 customizable themes
  • Offline play
  • Full statistics tracking
Read full description

Discover the most complete Sudoku experience on the App Store. Sudoku by Joseph offers 12 unique puzzle variants in one beautifully designed app - trusted by players for over 15 years with a 4.66-star rating from 2,400+ reviews. THREE FREE VARIANTS TO ENJOY: - Classic Sudoku - The timeless 9x9 number puzzle - Jigsaw Sudoku - Irregular regions replace the standard boxes - Killer Sudoku - Cage sums meet Sudoku logic NINE PREMIUM VARIANTS FOR TRUE ENTHUSIASTS: - 16x16 Sudoku - Super-sized grid for an extra challenge - Twodoku - Two overlapping Sudoku grids - Tripledoku - Three interlocking puzzles - Gattai-3 - Three grids sharing regions - Sohei - Four grids in a cross pattern - Samurai - Five overlapping grids - Cross Sudoku - A cross-shaped multi-grid puzzle - Flower Sudoku - Five grids in a flower arrangement - Kazaguruma - A pinwheel of four grids FEATURES THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE: - Daily Challenge - A new puzzle every day to keep your streak alive - Multiple difficulty levels - From beginner-friendly to fiendishly hard - 13 stunning themes - Customize your experience with light and dark modes - Customizable fonts - Choose the look that suits you - Full statistics - Track your progress and improvement - Game Center - Compare your achievements with friends - Ad-free with Premium - No interruptions, ever - Works offline - Play anywhere, anytime - Privacy-focused - We respect your data Crafted by an indie developer with a passion for puzzles, Sudoku by Joseph is the app that grows with you. Start with Classic, Jigsaw, or Killer for free, then unlock all 12 variants with a premium subscription. Premium Subscription: - Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription Privacy Policy: https://sudokubyjoseph.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://sudokubyjoseph.app/eula

Screenshots

Sudoku by Joseph4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sudoku by Joseph at every 5 days against Sudoku HD!'s every 6 months. Sudoku by Joseph also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 707). Sudoku HD!'s advantage is review sentiment (87% vs 73%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 HD! sells 11 one-off in-app purchases and Sudoku by Joseph sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sudoku by Joseph holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 707 and 2.4K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 87% of Sudoku HD!'s written reviews are positive against 73% of Sudoku by Joseph's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sudoku HD! ships an update every 6 months, Sudoku by Joseph every 5 days. Both last shipped on September 19, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Sudoku HD! versus Sudoku by Joseph: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSudoku HD!Sudoku by Joseph
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (707 ratings)4.7 (2.4K ratings) — better
Positive reviews86.9% of reviews — better73.5% of reviews
Number of ratings7072.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB109 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCKeitgen GmbH

Customer experience

Sudoku HD!

All ratings707 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral5.0%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews274 reviews
Positive86.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative10.2%

Sudoku by Joseph

All ratings2,396 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews147 reviews
Positive73.5%
Neutral6.1%
Negative20.4%

User reviews

Sudoku HD!

From 707 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🤓 Challenging puzzles
  • 🎶 Relaxing music
  • 💻 Great interface
  • 🧠 Keeps mind active

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Too many ads
  • 🔄 Crashes and freezes
  • 🎨 Dislike new layout changes
  • 🤦‍♂️ Penalizes for mistakes
  • 🔒 Cannot revert to old version

Sudoku by Joseph

From 2.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Jigsaw puzzles
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 👍 Variety of settings and options
  • 👍 Responsive developer
  • 👍 Clean and minimalist design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Ads covering gameplay
  • 🐛 Compatibility issues after updates
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Lack of ad-free purchase option

Bugs and requests

Sudoku HD!

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Puzzles marked as completed when they are not
  • Crashes when trying to play 'insane' level puzzles
  • Purchases not restoring across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Allow resetting of puzzles
  • Provide level selection options
  • Automatically clear notes when number is entered
  • Add landscape mode support

Sudoku by Joseph

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashing issues
  • Incorrect error highlighting
  • Gameplay elements not visible on screen

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to change font/color contrast
  • Pencil mark mode
  • Ability to reset statistics

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Sudoku HD!

One-time11
  • Puzzle Pack - Showa$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Kurikara$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Subushi$0.99
Show 8 more
  • Puzzle Pack - Miura$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Kasagi$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Ishizu$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Sakai$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Genpei$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Norada$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Meiji$0.99
  • Puzzle Pack - Taisho$0.99
5 purchases

Sudoku by Joseph

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is Sudoku HD! free?
Sudoku HD! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sudoku by Joseph free?
Sudoku by Joseph is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sudoku HD! or Sudoku by Joseph?
Sudoku by Joseph is rated higher. Sudoku HD! averages 4.5 out of 5 from 707 ratings, while Sudoku by Joseph averages 4.7 from 2.4K ratings.
Do Sudoku HD! or Sudoku by Joseph have ads?
Both Sudoku HD! and Sudoku by Joseph show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sudoku HD! or Sudoku by Joseph?
Sudoku HD! ships an update every 6 months, and Sudoku by Joseph every 5 days. Most recently, Sudoku HD! was updated on September 19, 2026 and Sudoku by Joseph on September 19, 2026.

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