# ⋆Sudoku vs Challenge! Sudoku

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Challenge! Sudoku at 100% against ⋆Sudoku's 64%. Challenge! Sudoku also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). ⋆Sudoku's advantage is ratings volume (161K vs 2). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ⋆Sudoku sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Challenge! Sudoku asks for nothing beyond the download.

Challenge! Sudoku holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ⋆Sudoku has 161K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of ⋆Sudoku's written reviews are positive against 100% of Challenge! Sudoku's.

⋆Sudoku ships an update monthly, Challenge! Sudoku every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ⋆Sudoku | Challenge! Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (161K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id418044512/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challenge-sudoku-classic-game/id6468818921/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **161K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 316 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brainium Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/300891405) | [kyulabs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1380867471) |

## What reviewers say

### ⋆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


### Challenge! Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/challenge-sudoku-classic-game/id6468818921)

Engage in classic Sudoku puzzles with a competitive edge. Challenge players globally and locally to achieve top rankings on leaderboards. Customize difficulty levels to suit your skill, from beginner to expert.

**Highlights:** Global ranking system, Compete with friends, Multiple difficulty levels, User-friendly interface, Record sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ⋆Sudoku free?

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

### Is Challenge! Sudoku free?

Challenge! Sudoku is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Challenge! Sudoku is rated higher. ⋆Sudoku averages 4.7 out of 5 from 161K ratings, while Challenge! Sudoku averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do ⋆Sudoku or Challenge! Sudoku have ads?

⋆Sudoku shows ads; Challenge! Sudoku does not.

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

⋆Sudoku ships an update monthly, and Challenge! Sudoku every 2 days. Most recently, ⋆Sudoku was updated on October 25, 2026 and Challenge! Sudoku on October 17, 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.*