People leave Sudoku: Daily Puzzles (Gamovation's "Sudoku: Daily Puzzles") for three main reasons: the coin and booster economy, a ceiling at Expert, or wanting a calmer app than one built around clubs and gifts. For nothing to buy at all, Sudoku Royale. For a single cheap purchase and six levels with undo, Sudoku by Mind The Frog. For no timer and full undo, Stress Free Sudoku. For the hardest puzzles, Good Sudoku.
Sudoku: Daily Puzzles does a lot right: a timer you can switch off, an optional mistake limit, an offline daily puzzle and an app in 31 languages. Before switching, check which of those you rely on, because not every alternative below has them.
The App Store facts
| App | Price and ads | Paid options listed | US rating | Last update | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudoku: Daily Puzzles | Free, ads (remove for $3.99) | Remove Ads $6.99, 240 Coins $0.99, 2940 Coins $10.99 | 4.9 from 7,046 ratings | September 11, 2026 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision |
| Sudoku Royale | Free, no in-app purchases | None listed | 4.8 from 11 ratings | October 23, 2026 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision |
| Sudoku by Mind The Frog | Free, ads (remove for $1.99) | Remove Ads $1.99 | 4.7 from 38,659 ratings | June 20, 2025 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision |
| Stress Free Sudoku | Free, ads, no in-app purchases | None listed | 4.8 from 10,395 ratings | June 10, 2026 | iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision |
| Good Sudoku | Free, in-app purchases | Full Game Unlock $4.99 | 4.2 from 1,332 ratings | July 21, 2025 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision |
| nerByte Sudoku | Free, ads (remove for $7.99) | Sudoku No Ads $7.99 | 4.7 from 24,061 ratings | February 25, 2025 | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Sudoku Puzzle World | Free, ads (remove for $9.99) | Upgrade with Permanent Ad Removal $9.99 | 4.8 from 19,869 ratings | June 20, 2026 | iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision |
From each app's US App Store listing, checked October 26, 2026. Prices and paid items change, so check the listing before you buy.
What each alternative changes
| Sudoku Royale | Mind The Frog | Stress Free Sudoku | Good Sudoku | nerByte Sudoku | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | Nothing, no ads | Remove Ads $1.99 | Free; age rating notes ads, no purchase listed | Full Game Unlock $4.99 | Sudoku No Ads $7.99 |
| Coins or boosters | No (shurikens are earned, cosmetic) | Not in listing | Not in listing | Not in listing | Not in listing |
| Levels | Six, Easy to Extreme | Six, easy to diabolical | Five, Very Easy to Genius | Five | Five, Fast to Expert |
| Undo | No | Undo and redo | Full undo | Not in listing | Not in listing |
| Timer off | No, always shown | Not in listing | No timers at all | Not in listing | Not in listing |
| Offline | Practice and Journey only | On or offline | Not in listing | Not in listing | Without restrictions |
| Help when stuck | Names the technique, links a lesson | Conflict and error highlighting | Hint and check-your-work | Reads your notes, finds the technique | Step-by-step explanatory hints |
| Daily puzzle | Leaderboard, streaks, archive | Daily challenges | Not in listing | Three daily modes, global leaderboards | Daily challenges |
If you are tired of coins and boosters
Sudoku: Daily Puzzles's App Store purchase list carries 8 coin pack entries next to Remove Ads, and its listing promotes daily gifts and boosters for hard puzzles. Some players enjoy that loop. If you would rather work a hard grid out yourself, a booster button is a shortcut you may not want on the screen.
Sudoku Royale removes the question. It has no ads, no purchases and no subscription; its shurikens are earned by solving and only buy avatar outfits. When you stall in Practice, the hint names a technique and points at a cell, and that is all the help there is. You give up undo, a way to hide the timer, and an offline daily. Try Sudoku Royale if that sounds right.
If you prefer to pay once and be done, the cheapest one-time option among the apps here is Remove Ads at $1.99. Sudoku by Mind The Frog sells a Remove Ads at $1.99 and describes itself as sudoku "with no distractions": no long intros, big buttons, and nothing playing but your own music. Our guide to sudoku apps without a subscription lists more one-time and free options.
If Expert is too easy
Sudoku: Daily Puzzles offers Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert. Three alternatives go further. Mind The Frog has six levels, ending at "diabolical". Sudoku Royale adds Master and Extreme, unlocked as you solve, where you will need the X-Wing, Swordfish and XY-Wing; its Dojo drills each of those on its own. Good Sudoku says its hardest puzzles need XYZ-Wings and Jellyfish, and it states exactly which techniques each level requires. For a longer list, see our sudoku apps for advanced players.
If you want calm, not a community
Clubs, rankings and gifts make Sudoku: Daily Puzzles lively. If you just want to solve, Stress Free Sudoku is the opposite: its listing promises no timers at all, full undo, 200,000 puzzles and highlights you can turn off one by one. Its age rating notes advertising, and it lists no purchase to remove the ads.
nerByte Sudoku is another quiet choice, with offline play "without restrictions", landscape support, and four color schemes from black to white. It sells Sudoku No Ads for $7.99. Sudoku Royale is calm too, but its timer cannot be hidden. See our relaxing sudoku apps for more.
If the competition is what you like
If rankings are the part you enjoy, look for an app that still has them. Sudoku Puzzle World runs tournaments and limited-time events with global leaderboards, and sells "Upgrade with Permanent Ad Removal" at $9.99. Good Sudoku has three daily modes that get harder through the week, each with a global leaderboard. Royale's Daily Challenge ranks you against friends and the world, and its weekly Belts league rewards steady play rather than one fast time.
When to stay with Sudoku: Daily Puzzles
- You switch the timer off. Stress Free Sudoku (no timers at all) is the clear match; Royale always shows one.
- You play the daily offline. Royale's daily needs a connection.
- Your club is the point. None of the alternatives lists clubs or chat.
- You need another language. It lists 31; Royale is English only.
For a direct, two-app look, read Sudoku Royale vs Sudoku: Daily Puzzles, or browse every matchup on the comparisons page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good alternative to Sudoku: Daily Puzzles without coins or ads?
Sudoku Royale has no ads, no purchases and no paid currency; its shurikens are earned and only buy avatar outfits. It has six levels and hints that name a technique. It has no undo and its timer cannot be hidden.
Which sudoku app has more difficulty levels?
Sudoku by Mind The Frog and Sudoku Royale each have six (up to diabolical and Extreme). Gamovation's app, Stress Free Sudoku, nerByte and Good Sudoku list four or five.
Is there a sudoku app with undo and no timer?
Stress Free Sudoku's listing promises full undo and no timers at all. Mind The Frog lists undo and redo. Sudoku Royale has neither undo nor a way to hide its timer.
Which alternative works fully offline?
nerByte Sudoku says it plays offline without restrictions, and Mind The Frog offers unlimited grids on or offline. Sudoku Royale's Practice and Journey work offline, but not its daily, Dojo or hints.
Who makes Sudoku: Daily Puzzles?
Gamovation (listed as Gamovation B.V. on the App Store). The app came out in 2022.
Which alternative is best for learning techniques?
Sudoku Royale and Good Sudoku. Royale has an 88-level Journey, Dojo drills and a hint that links to lessons; Good Sudoku's hint reads your notes to find the technique you are missing and tracks which ones you have learned.