# Sudoku vs ⋆Sudoku

Sudoku and ⋆Sudoku are too close to call on the numbers: across 10 compared parameters — price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Sudoku sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and ⋆Sudoku sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 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 4.7 for ⋆Sudoku. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 59K and 161K respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 65% and 64% positive.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sudoku | ⋆Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (59K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id398990729/reviews) | **[4.7 (161K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id418044512/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 59K | **161K** |
| Positive reviews | **64.9% of reviews** | 64.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 147 MB | 316 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maple Media Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289801633) | [Brainium Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/300891405) |

## 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 (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Monthly | $1.99 | 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id418044512)

This app offers a classic Sudoku puzzle experience with a modern design and intuitive controls. It features five difficulty levels, a smart hint system that teaches logic, and daily challenges to keep your mind sharp. Track your progress and enjoy a customizable and relaxing gameplay.

**Highlights:** Smart hint system teaches logic, Five difficulty levels, Daily puzzle challenges, Customizable board and themes, Progress tracking and statistics, Auto-fill and auto-check options

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Challenging but not too challenging
- 👍 Great for learning advanced techniques
- 👍 Helpful hints that teach strategies
- 👍 Relaxing and soothing game
- 👍 Customizable themes and settings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Difficult to see numbers and patterns
- 🔍 Inconsistent difficulty levels
- 🔍 Overly distracting UI elements
- 🔍 Too many intrusive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle completion status not updating correctly
- Floating number feature not working as expected
- Scores not displaying properly on leaderboard
- Game freezing or crashing on certain devices
- Inability to play music in the background

**Requested features**

- Option to disable auto-check for errors
- Ability to customize number colors and backgrounds
- More granular difficulty settings between Hard and Expert
- Ability to access past daily puzzles
- Family sharing for ad-free version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sudoku free?

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

### Is ⋆Sudoku free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sudoku or ⋆Sudoku?

⋆Sudoku is rated higher. Sudoku averages 4.7 out of 5 from 59K ratings, while ⋆Sudoku averages 4.7 from 161K ratings.

### Do Sudoku or ⋆Sudoku have ads?

Both Sudoku and ⋆Sudoku show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sudoku or ⋆Sudoku?

Sudoku ships an update monthly, and ⋆Sudoku monthly. Most recently, Sudoku was updated on October 22, 2026 and ⋆Sudoku on October 22, 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.*