# Sudoku Cafe vs ™ Sudoku

The clearest difference is ads: ™ Sudoku at none against Sudoku Cafe's shown. ™ Sudoku also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Sudoku Cafe's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sudoku Cafe sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and ™ Sudoku sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sudoku Cafe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 191 and 121 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Sudoku Cafe's written reviews are positive against 82% of ™ Sudoku's.

Sudoku Cafe ships an update every 3 weeks, ™ Sudoku every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sudoku Cafe | ™ Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (191 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-cafe/id540946844/reviews)** | [4.4 (121 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id1387281887/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **191** | 121 |
| Positive reviews | **89.2% of reviews** | 82.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 160 MB | 62 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [BitMango, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/465882936) | [VM Mobile Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/646128457) |

## What reviewers say

### Sudoku Cafe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-cafe/id540946844)

This logic-based puzzle game challenges you to fill a 9x9 grid with numbers from 1 to 9. Follow the rules of Sudoku to ensure no duplicates in rows, columns, or 3x3 subregions. Progress through multiple difficulty levels and test your skills.

**Highlights:** 9x9 grid puzzles, Multiple difficulty levels, Logic-based gameplay, Number placement, Error tracking

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 Combo Boosters | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |
| 11 Hints | $1.99 | one-time |
| AdFree | $1.99 | one-time |
| 23 Hints | $3.99 | one-time |
| 50 Hints | $7.99 | one-time |
| 50 Combo Boosters | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to learn and play for beginners
- 🎨 Clean, attractive graphics and visual design
- 🧠 Great mental exercise and brain stimulation
- ⚡ Smooth, flawless gameplay mechanics
- ✏️ Excellent pencil mark system with number highlighting

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Game mechanics differ from standard Sudoku (select number first, then square)
- 📺 Excessive advertisements, especially in free version
- ⏱️ Mandatory timer creates pressure and competition
- ❌ Harsh penalty system for mistakes (fail after 3 errors)
- 🎨 Monotone grid design makes sectors hard to distinguish

**Reported bugs**

- Results screen buttons (home/replay) non-functional after completing puzzle
- Timer starts automatically when ads play, adding unwanted seconds to score
- Theme/tile appearance changes when resuming saved games
- Pencil marks disappear from certain board themes after updates
- Incorrect number validation preventing correct entries

**Requested features**

- Ultra-hard difficulty level beyond expert
- Option to disable timer and mistake notifications
- Ability to turn off penalty system for casual play
- Save game feature to resume later
- Landscape orientation support


### ™ Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku/id1387281887)

Engage your mind with a classic logic puzzle game. Offers a wide range of difficulty levels and helpful tools to assist or challenge players. Enjoy a seamless digital experience of paper-and-pencil Sudoku anytime, anywhere.

**Highlights:** Multiple difficulty levels, Auto-error detection, Manual solving mode, Hint system, Note-taking functionality, Undo feature, Mini Sudoku support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sudoku Cafe free?

Sudoku Cafe 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 Cafe or ™ Sudoku?

Sudoku Cafe is rated higher. Sudoku Cafe averages 4.7 out of 5 from 191 ratings, while ™ Sudoku averages 4.4 from 121 ratings.

### Do Sudoku Cafe or ™ Sudoku have ads?

Sudoku Cafe shows ads; ™ Sudoku does not.

### Which is updated more often, Sudoku Cafe or ™ Sudoku?

Sudoku Cafe ships an update every 3 weeks, and ™ Sudoku every 8 months. Most recently, Sudoku Cafe was updated on November 1, 2026 and ™ Sudoku 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.*