# Brilliant vs Sudoku

The clearest difference is rating: Brilliant at 4.7 against Sudoku's 4.1. Brilliant also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (79% vs 47%). Sudoku's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Brilliant sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month and Sudoku sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Brilliant holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brilliant has 33K ratings behind it against 4.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Brilliant's written reviews are positive against 47% of Sudoku's.

Brilliant ships an update weekly, Sudoku monthly. Both last shipped on November 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brilliant | Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (33K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252/reviews)** | [4.1 (4.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-no-ads/id1533935003/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **33K** | 4.3K |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 46.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#66** | — |
| Size | 104 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brilliant.org](https://appshunter.io/developer/913335255) | [Beijing Free Calculator Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457813265) |

## What reviewers say

### Brilliant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brilliant-learn-math-and-coding/id913335252)

**Currently charting:** #66 Top Grossing · Education, #148 Top Free · Education (US App Store)

This app offers a personalized learning experience for math and coding, acting as a virtual tutor. It guides users through problems with interactive explanations and adapts to their skill level, fostering deep understanding and problem-solving abilities. Suitable for learners from grade 5 through college and beyond.

**Highlights:** Personalized one-on-one learning, Interactive problem-solving guidance, Expert-crafted curriculum, Adaptive learning system, Builds critical thinking skills, Covers math, coding, science, and more

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brilliant Premium - Personal stats & exclusive problems | $19.99 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $24.99 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium | $24.99 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium with Tutor | $30.00 | per month |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $119.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $127.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $127.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium: Fun, challenging problems in math and science by experts | $149.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium | $149.99 | per year |
| Brilliant Premium with Tutor | $191.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick exercises, fast improvement
- 👍 Engaging and easy learning
- 👍 Effective learning of complex topics
- 👍 Intuitive and challenging but not intimidating
- 👍 Wonderful learning tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Bugs and glitches
- 🔍 Limited variety of learning methods
- 🔍 Limited course selection
- 🔍 Inconsistent explanations and unclear wording

**Reported bugs**

- Progress not saving correctly
- Explanations not loading properly
- Home page not loading
- Difficulty cancelling subscription

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline mode
- Spaced repetition practice
- Ability to bookmark/save difficult problems
- More detailed explanations


### Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sudoku-no-ads/id1533935003)

Engage in a classic Sudoku experience with multiple difficulty levels suitable for all ages. Enjoy a clean interface, track your game history, and access unlimited solutions with a yearly subscription.

**Highlights:** Multiple difficulty levels, Beautiful and concise interface, Game history tracking, Unlimited Sudoku solutions, Ad-free experience

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced features-1 month | $2.99 | per month |
| Advanced features-all year | $12.99 | per year |
| 数独高级会员-月 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 数独高级会员-年 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sudoku Monthly Membership | $9.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Skill Course | $9.99 | one-time |
| Permanent Purchase | $14.99 | one-time |
| Sudoku Year Member | $29.99 | one-time |
| Sudoku Year Member | $49.99 | one-time |
| All Skill Courses | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 No ads
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Variety of difficulty levels
- 👍 Separate notes and final number inputs
- 👍 Good for practicing and improving skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Repeated puzzle layouts
- 🐛 Bugs and errors in puzzle generation
- 🔒 Requires payment to access basic features (sound, difficulty settings)
- 👎 Large gap in difficulty between easy and medium levels
- 👎 Inability to undo/reset a game in progress

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzles with no unique solution
- Game resets when app is closed
- Candidate numbers disappearing unexpectedly
- Incorrect highlighting of mistakes

**Requested features**

- Ability to select and mark multiple cells
- Option to view statistics and compare scores
- More granular difficulty settings between easy and hard
- Ability to save and resume an in-progress game
- Explanations for advanced solving techniques


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brilliant free?

Brilliant 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, Brilliant or Sudoku?

Brilliant is rated higher. Brilliant averages 4.7 out of 5 from 33K ratings, while Sudoku averages 4.1 from 4.3K ratings.

### Do Brilliant or Sudoku have ads?

Brilliant shows ads; Sudoku does not.

### Which is updated more often, Brilliant or Sudoku?

Brilliant ships an update weekly, and Sudoku monthly. Most recently, Brilliant was updated on November 12, 2026 and Sudoku on November 12, 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.*