Smart Sudoku vs Squoku
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Smart Sudoku
This app offers advanced Sudoku solving assistance by identifying complex patterns and providing professional tips to eliminate candidates. It features a unique scoring system based on solution efficiency and allows for quick manual puzzle entry and import.
- Powerful hint system for solving strategies
- Fast manual puzzle entry
- Simultaneous multiple square handling
- Show/hide candidates
- Innovative efficiency-based scoring
- Import puzzles from text and internet
- Unlimited undo/redo
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Are you familiar with terms like "X-Wing", "2-String Kite", or "Locked Candidates"? If yes, Smart Sudoku is for you. If not, even more so. Unlike most Sudoku apps, Smart Sudoku helps you solve tough puzzles by not simply revealing cell solutions, but by giving you professional tips. It tells you what patterns to look for in order to eliminate candidates. Smart Sudokus' unique scoring system ranks your solution not by the time you spent, but by how efficiently you solved the puzzle. Smart Sudoku comes with hundreds of challenging puzzles built-in. Copying a puzzle from a newspaper is a breeze – think of typing in a few phone numbers. "Excellent. Very simple to enter puzzles from the newspaper. Candidate numbers are displayed, allowing solutions to really tough puzzles to be solved without the laborious job of setting up candidates." (UK user) Features: • Powerful hint system based on the most popular solving strategies • Very fast manual puzzle entry method (typically 40 seconds or less) • Multiple squares may be handled simultaneously • Show or hide candidates anytime while solving the puzzle • Innovative scoring, based on efficiency of solving instead of time spent • Copy/paste puzzles in standard text format, incl. "HoDoKu Library Format" and "Simple Sudoku Format" • Import puzzles from the Internet • Share partially or fully solved puzzles via e-mail • 509 puzzles built-in, from easy to almost unsolvable • Unlimited undo/redo • Built-in user's manual • Landscape mode (iPad, Mac, Vision Pro) Hints Learn how to eliminate candidates by finding standard patterns. Let Smart Sudoku tell you what pattern to look for next. Still stuck? Smart Sudoku can even show you the squares and numbers involved. The affected squares are selected automatically, so eliminating candidates is a snap. Patterns handled by Smart Sudoku include: • Naked and Hidden Singles, Pairs, Triples, Quads, and Quintuples • Locked Candidates Type 1 and 2 • X-Wing • XY-Wing • XYZ-Wing • W-Wing • Skyscraper • 2-String Kite • Swordfish • Jellyfish • Empty Rectangle • Unique Rectangle Type 1 and 2 Input checking After copying a printed puzzle, Smart Sudoku will tell you whether the puzzle has a unique solution or not (usually caused by a typo or missing number.) Efficient solving Smart Sudoku helps you solve Sudokus in a professional way. Never add candidates, only remove them, even from multiple squares in one step. Should you ever get stuck (and no hints are available), let Smart Sudoku solve any square you wish. Or all squares for a given number. Or even the entire puzzle. Novel scoring method Unlike many Sudoku apps, Smart Sudoku rates your efficiency in solving a puzzle, not how quickly you do it. Solve one square at a time and your score will remain at zero. Solve as many squares as possible for a given number simultaneously and watch the progress bar grow. To get the maximum of 1000 points requires you to finish each number in a single step. The current score is shown in the title. Share puzzles Send an e-mail of a puzzle at any stage to your friends. If partially or fully solved, they'll also get the original puzzle. And, of course, they'll see your score, even a message about your making use of candidates. Recipients may paste the puzzle into their own copy of Smart Sudoku. Puzzles from the Internet Smart Sudoku supports the well-established text format for Sudokus (a string of 81 digits and decimal points), as well as export formats used by programs like HoDoKu and Simple Sudoku, giving you access to thousands of puzzles available on the Internet. Just download the text strings and paste them into Smart Sudoku.
Squoku
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A finished Sudoku is a small victory. Squoku helps you reach it without retyping the puzzle. Point your iPhone or iPad at a printed 9×9 grid. Squoku reads the clues, automatically checks for one unique solution, and shows the missing digits directly on the page. Need a clean result? Open a completed newspaper-style board, copy the solution image, or share it with the clearest saved scan through the system share sheet. Local History keeps solved puzzles ready when you want them again. Two solution reveals are included. After that, reveal one confirmed puzzle with a small one-time purchase or buy Squoku Pro to solve new puzzles forever. There is no subscription. Camera recognition, solving, History, and image generation happen on your device. Squoku requires no account and uploads no puzzle or camera content.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Squoku at Free against Smart Sudoku's $0.99. Squoku also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months). Smart Sudoku's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#193 vs unranked). On ads 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
Squoku is free to download; Smart Sudoku costs $0.99 up front. Squoku sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Smart Sudoku asks for nothing beyond the download.
Smart Sudoku ships an update every 9 months, Squoku every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Smart Sudoku | Squoku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | #193 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | CuVee Software | Robert Ladstaetter |
In-app purchases
Smart Sudoku
No in-app purchases
Squoku
- One Sudoku Solution$0.99
- Squoku Pro$4.99
Questions
Is Smart Sudoku free?
Is Squoku free?
Do Smart Sudoku or Squoku have ads?
Which is updated more often, Smart Sudoku or Squoku?
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