Comparison

KenKen Classic vs MathCage

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

KenKen Classic

Engage your mind with this addictive logic and math puzzle game. It offers a virtually unlimited supply of challenges with adjustable difficulty and grid sizes. Enjoy a fun way to train your brain with a trusted source of daily puzzles.

Highlights
  • Unlimited puzzles
  • Adjustable difficulty and grid size
  • Multiple input modes
  • Hints, Undo, Redo, Reset
  • Online leaderboards
  • Color schemes and music options
Features
Read full description

KenKen® - Brain Training Puzzle Train your brain with KenKen®, the unbelievably fun, exciting and addictive logic and math puzzle! KenKen is an amazing puzzle that is frequently described as “sudoku on steroids.” If you like other brain games such as sudoku, 2048, Threes, Kakuro, Unblock Me, Tricky Test, Tetris, Flow, jigsaw puzzles, word search puzzles, or crossword puzzles, then you will LOVE KenKen! This is the ONE-AND-ONLY Original KenKen app, created by acclaimed Japanese mathematics educator Tetsuya Miyamoto. Don’t be fooled by unauthorized versions such as mathdoku and calcudoku, and don't get stuck in a sudoku rut. Play KenKen math puzzles today! KenKen appears daily in the New York Times and hundreds of other publications around the globe. NY Times puzzle editor, Will Shortz, calls KenKen "the most addictive puzzle since sudoku." There are virtually unlimited KenKen puzzles available to you on this app. The first 50 are included FREE with the download. If you need more...no problem! Just order them and they'll appear immediately. YOU select the size, difficulty level, and operations. KenKen Classic includes: - 50 FREE fun math puzzles of every size and difficulty level - Unlimited FREE 3x3 size puzzles to learn from and enjoy - Virtually unlimited puzzles, ranging from 3x3 to 9x9 grids, from Easy to Expert - A variety of color schemes and music (you can even set your own music to play in the background) - 3 input modes for digits and notes - Great extra features such as Hints, Check, Undo, Redo, Reset, Pause, and Timer - Online leaderboards - Ability to post results directly to Twitter - Ability to email results and invite friends

About

MathCage

Features
Read full description

MathCage is the classic math logic game — a fresh challenge for Sudoku fans who love numbers and reasoning. Fill the grid, satisfy every cage, and train your brain anywhere. HOW TO PLAY • Fill the grid with numbers (1-4, 1-5 or 1-6) • No number repeats in any row or column • Numbers in each cage must satisfy the arithmetic clue (+, −, ×, ÷) • Single-cell cages show the answer directly WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • Unlimited puzzles — every grid is freshly generated with a unique solution • 3 difficulty levels: Easy 4×4, Medium 5×5, Hard 6×6 • Notes, undo and auto-save for strategic play • Track your best times and completed games • Clean, minimal design with satisfying haptics • 100% offline — perfect for flights, commutes and travel • Completely free: no ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases PERFECT FOR • Sudoku fans looking for a smarter alternative • Daily brain training and mental math practice • Students sharpening arithmetic skills • Anyone who loves logic puzzles and number games Download MathCage now and give your brain its daily workout!

Screenshots

KenKen Classic2 screens
MathCage4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MathCage at none against KenKen Classic's 6. MathCage also leads on ads (none vs shown). KenKen Classic's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.0). On price and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. KenKen Classic sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. MathCage asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KenKen Classic ships an update every 4 months, MathCage every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
KenKen Classic versus MathCage: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKenKen ClassicMathCage
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews72.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKenKen Puzzle晓 郭

Bugs and requests

KenKen Classic

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Puzzles disappearing after device reset or upgrade
  • Purchased puzzles not syncing across devices
  • App crashing or freezing

Requested features

4 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Ability to save and revert puzzle progress
  • No-op puzzles for advanced players
  • Improved puzzle loading and syncing across devices

MathCage

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

KenKen Classic

Subscriptions1
  • Full Year Subscription NO ADS!$19.991 Year
One-time5
  • 500 KenKen toKENs$0.99
  • 31 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$1.99
  • 250 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$7.99
Show 2 more
  • 1000 Puzzles PLUS removal of all ads!$14.99
  • Annual Unlimited Subscription - Ad Free$19.99
None

MathCage

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KenKen Classic free?
KenKen Classic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MathCage free?
MathCage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do KenKen Classic or MathCage have ads?
KenKen Classic shows ads; MathCage does not.
Which is updated more often, KenKen Classic or MathCage?
KenKen Classic ships an update every 4 months, and MathCage every 3 months. Most recently, KenKen Classic was updated on October 29, 2026 and MathCage on October 28, 2026.

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