# Samurai Sudoku vs Sudoku Samurai Master

The clearest difference is ads: Sudoku Samurai Master at none against Samurai Sudoku's shown. Sudoku Samurai Master also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). Samurai Sudoku's advantage is ratings volume (383 vs 9). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Samurai Sudoku sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sudoku Samurai Master sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sudoku Samurai Master holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samurai Sudoku has 383 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Samurai Sudoku ships an update every 2 months, Sudoku Samurai Master every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Samurai Sudoku | Sudoku Samurai Master |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (383 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-sudoku/id594421598/reviews) | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-samurai-master/id6766910697/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **383** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 24 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stanley Lam](https://appshunter.io/developer/453164363) | [Lucas Howlett](https://appshunter.io/developer/1620125795) |

## What reviewers say

### Samurai Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-sudoku/id594421598)

Experience a unique Sudoku challenge with five interconnected grids. Apply standard Sudoku rules to each 9x9 grid, filling numbers to ensure each row, column, and region has one of each digit. Offers multiple difficulty levels and puzzle variations.

**Highlights:** Five overlapping Sudoku grids, Five difficulty levels, Various Sudoku types (Gattai, Butterfly), Hint feature with conflict checking, Highlight same numbers, Autosave progress, Record best completion times

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Diagonal Samurai Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Beginner Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Median Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Advanced Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Expert Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Advanced Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Basic Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jigsaw Samurai Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Anti Diagonal Samurai Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Sudoku | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Excellent variety of puzzle types and game modes
- 🧠 Challenging and mentally stimulating gameplay
- 👍 User-friendly interface and intuitive controls
- 🎨 Well-designed graphics and visual presentation
- ⭐ Addictive and entertaining for extended play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- 📱 Unresponsive touch controls requiring multiple taps
- 🎥 Video loading problems for weekly puzzles
- 💾 Loss of purchased content and progress after updates
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive advertising

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when watching required videos
- Weekly puzzle videos fail to load
- Game freezes mid-puzzle with no progress saved
- Purchased puzzles disappear after app updates or reinstalls
- Ad screens block gameplay with no visible close button

**Requested features**

- Auto-fill feature for candidate notes/pencil marks
- Pause button for games in progress
- Left-handed mode option
- Highlight vertical and horizontal lines for easier solving
- Ability to create and submit custom puzzles


### Sudoku Samurai Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-samurai-master/id6766910697)

Master the art of Sudoku with a beautifully crafted game. Train through escalating challenges, learn advanced solving techniques, and progress from Novice to Grandmaster. Enjoy daily puzzles and a clean, intuitive interface.

**Highlights:** Hand-crafted campaign mode, Learn library with advanced techniques, Daily challenges, Multiple difficulty levels, Offline play, Smooth input and haptic feedback

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Game Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Samurai Sudoku free?

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

### Is Sudoku Samurai Master free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Samurai Sudoku or Sudoku Samurai Master?

Sudoku Samurai Master is rated higher. Samurai Sudoku averages 4.6 out of 5 from 383 ratings, while Sudoku Samurai Master averages 5.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do Samurai Sudoku or Sudoku Samurai Master have ads?

Samurai Sudoku shows ads; Sudoku Samurai Master does not.

### Which is updated more often, Samurai Sudoku or Sudoku Samurai Master?

Samurai Sudoku ships an update every 2 months, and Sudoku Samurai Master every 8 days. Most recently, Samurai Sudoku was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sudoku Samurai Master on October 31, 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.*