# Sudoku vs Sudoku Master Edition

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Sudoku at 59K against Sudoku Master Edition's 7.9K. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sudoku sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Sudoku Master Edition sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Sudoku against 4.6 for Sudoku Master Edition. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sudoku has 59K ratings behind it against 7.9K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Sudoku's written reviews are positive against 63% of Sudoku Master Edition's.

Sudoku ships an update monthly, Sudoku Master Edition every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sudoku | Sudoku Master Edition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id398990729/reviews)** | [4.6 (7.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-master-edition/id1260190370/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **59K** | 7.9K |
| Positive reviews | **65.1% of reviews** | 63.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 147 MB | 118 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maple Media Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289801633) | [Hoolatron Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1260190369) |

## What reviewers say

### Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id398990729)

Engage your mind with this classic Japanese logic puzzle. Offers multiple difficulty levels, customizable backgrounds, and unique emoji number options. Track progress and compete with others.

**Highlights:** Four difficulty settings, Customizable background colors, Emoji number option, Duplicate highlighting, Unlimited Undo/Redo, Autosave functionality, Leaderboards and achievements, Note-taking feature

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Sudoku Apps Bundle | $7.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $8.99 | per year |
| Sudoku Membership | $14.99 | per year |
| Sudoku Bundle | $14.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $14.99 | per year |
| Sudoku Apps Bundle | $64.99 | per year |
| Sudoku Apps Bundle | $99.99 | per year |
| Sudoku Bundle | $129.99 | per year |
| Disable Ads | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great game
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 📊 Tracks stats and times
- 💡 Useful features like pencil mode
- 🧠 Challenges the brain

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Intrusive ads
- 💰 Expensive ad-free version
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Battery draining
- 🔇 Disrupts audio playback

**Reported bugs**

- Numbers getting stuck/grayed out
- Inconsistent difficulty levels
- Display issues on newer devices
- Crashes after updates

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Customizable color themes
- Option to disable number highlighting
- Reset button that fully clears the board
- More granular difficulty levels


### Sudoku Master Edition

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-master-edition/id1260190370)

Engage in classic Sudoku with a vast array of customization options. Enjoy daily challenges, limited-time events, and five difficulty levels. Features smart tools and a pen-and-paper experience with Apple Pencil support.

**Highlights:** Dozens of custom themes, Limited-time events, Five difficulty levels, Lightning and Zen Modes, Highlight Helper, Apple Pencil support

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Theme Credit | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for sudoku
- 👍 Fun game
- 👍 Best design and master level is actually hard
- 👍 Intuitive controls
- 👍 Customizable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App freezes and crashes
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🐛 Handwriting recognition problems
- 🐛 Puzzle difficulties are inconsistent
- 🐛 Ads are disruptive and hard to close

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes after completing puzzles
- Handwriting recognition issues with certain numbers
- Saved games disappearing
- Inconsistent behavior when using pencil input
- Inability to enter wrong numbers

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to import custom puzzles
- More themes and color options
- Improved undo/redo functionality
- Ability to differentiate user-entered numbers from pre-filled numbers


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sudoku free?

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

### Is Sudoku Master Edition free?

Sudoku Master Edition is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Sudoku or Sudoku Master Edition?

Sudoku is rated higher. Sudoku averages 4.7 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while Sudoku Master Edition averages 4.6 from 7.9K ratings.

### Do Sudoku or Sudoku Master Edition have ads?

Both Sudoku and Sudoku Master Edition show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sudoku or Sudoku Master Edition?

Sudoku ships an update monthly, and Sudoku Master Edition every 5 weeks. Most recently, Sudoku was updated on November 11, 2026 and Sudoku Master Edition on November 11, 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.*