# Real Kakuro™ vs Number Join

The clearest difference is ads: Real Kakuro™ at none against Number Join's shown. Real Kakuro™ also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 59). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Real Kakuro™ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Number Join sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Real Kakuro™ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Real Kakuro™ has 2.6K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 88% and 89% positive.

Real Kakuro™ ships an update every 2 months, Number Join every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Real Kakuro™ | Number Join |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-kakuro/id459669325/reviews)** | [4.2 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-join-connect-diagonal/id611072465/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 59 |
| Positive reviews | 87.9% of reviews | **88.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 24 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Deucher](https://appshunter.io/developer/446639517) | [Stanley Lam](https://appshunter.io/developer/453164363) |

## What reviewers say

### Real Kakuro™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-kakuro/id459669325)

This number puzzle game challenges you to solve crosswords using digits. Each number combination must equal a given clue, using digits 1-9 only once per word. With thousands of unique, logic-based puzzles, it offers hours of engaging gameplay without locked levels.

**Highlights:** 3000 unique puzzles, Logic-based solving, No locked levels, Autosave functionality, High definition graphics, Game Center statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent game
- 🤓 Challenging puzzles
- 🧠 Exercises the mind
- 📚 Huge number of puzzles
- 🎨 Attractive design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💢 Annoying ads
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔊 Loud ads
- 🔍 Small number pad
- 🕰️ Ads interrupt gameplay

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles that appear to have no solution
- Solved puzzles showing as blank
- Frequent crashes and freezes

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo feature
- Ability to remove pencil marks after entering correct numbers
- Pause/resume game
- Larger number pad
- Ability to save progress


### Number Join

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/number-join-connect-diagonal/id611072465)

A logic puzzle game where you fill in missing numbers sequentially. Solve puzzles by connecting numbers horizontally, vertically, or diagonally across various difficulty levels. Features include hints, auto-save, and time tracking.

**Highlights:** Fill missing numbers sequentially, Horizontal, vertical, and diagonal connections, 5 difficulty levels, Over 500 levels, Check function for wrong numbers, Auto-save unfinished levels, Record best completion times

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to Full Version | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Real Kakuro™ free?

Real Kakuro™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Number Join free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Real Kakuro™ or Number Join?

Real Kakuro™ is rated higher. Real Kakuro™ averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while Number Join averages 4.2 from 59 ratings.

### Do Real Kakuro™ or Number Join have ads?

Number Join shows ads; Real Kakuro™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, Real Kakuro™ or Number Join?

Real Kakuro™ ships an update every 2 months, and Number Join every 5 months. Most recently, Real Kakuro™ was updated on November 10, 2026 and Number Join on November 6, 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.*