nerByte Sudoku is a clean, newspaper-style sudoku app that plays fully offline, with ads that its Sudoku No Ads ($7.99) removes. The best alternative depends on what you are missing. For undo and redo and a sixth, "diabolical" level: Sudoku by Mind The Frog. For hints that name a technique instead of filling things in, and no ads at all: Sudoku Royale. For the hardest puzzles: Good Sudoku. For no timers and full undo: Stress Free Sudoku.
One more thing to weigh: nerByte Sudoku's last App Store update was on February 25, 2025. That does not make it a bad app, and reviewers still praise its settings. But if you want an app that is actively changing, Sudoku Royale, Sudoku by Mind The Frog, Stress Free Sudoku, Good Sudoku, Brainium Sudoku have been updated since.
The App Store facts
| App | Price and ads | Paid options listed | US rating | Last update | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 |
| Brainium Sudoku | Free, ads (remove for $11.99) | Remove Ads $11.99 | 4.8 from 161,164 ratings | June 29, 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.
The reasons to switch, and who answers each
| You want | Sudoku Royale | Mind The Frog | Stress Free Sudoku | Good Sudoku | Brainium Sudoku |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No ads without paying | Yes, nothing to buy | No, Remove Ads $1.99 | Age rating notes ads; no purchase listed | Full Game Unlock $4.99 | No, Remove Ads $11.99 |
| Undo | No | Undo and redo | Full undo | Not in listing | Undo, per a version note |
| More than five levels | Six, to Extreme | Six, to diabolical | Five, to Genius | Five | Five |
| Hints that leave the solving to you | Names technique and cell, no number | Not in listing | Hint function | Reads your notes to find the technique | Explains the logic of each move |
| Lessons and drills | Journey, Dojo, Sensei coach | Not in listing | Not in listing | Practise techniques outside puzzles | Not in listing |
| A ranked daily | Friends and world leaderboard | Daily challenges | Not in listing | Three daily modes, global leaderboards | Points and gold checkmarks |
| Full offline play | Practice and Journey only | On or offline | Not in listing | Not in listing | Not in listing |
If the hints get in your way
nerByte Sudoku's listing promises explanatory hints with step-by-step instructions, and players who want a full walkthrough like them. One reviewer points out a side effect: asking for a hint also fills in and corrects your notes, and there is no quick way to undo that. If your own pencil marks are half the fun, that hurts.
Sudoku Royale takes the opposite approach. Its Practice hint lights up after about 90 seconds without progress, marks one cell and names the technique (a naked pair, a pointing pair), and stops there. You still find the number yourself, and the hint links to a lesson on that pattern. Hints need a connection. Good Sudoku goes the other way round: its solver looks at your answers and notes to work out which technique you are missing, so it builds on what you have written. Our page on how sudoku hints work compares the styles.
If you want undo
nerByte Sudoku's listing does not mention undo. A reviewer also notes that a mistyped number always counts against you. If you solve by trying a value and backing out, two apps list exactly that. Sudoku by Mind The Frog has undo and redo, automatic and manual notes, and up to 10 grids in progress at once, and sells Remove Ads for $1.99. Stress Free Sudoku has full undo, a check-your-work button and no timers anywhere.
Sudoku Royale does not fit this need. It has no undo; it checks each number as you place it and rejects wrong ones, which stops a mistyped digit from sitting on the board but also takes away the paper-and-pencil freedom some nerByte Sudoku players chose it for. If that freedom matters, see our sudoku apps with no mistake limit.
If Expert has become routine
nerByte Sudoku runs from Fast to Expert. Above that, Mind The Frog adds a sixth level it calls "diabolical", and Sudoku Royale adds Master and Extreme, where you need the X-Wing and the XY-Wing. Royale teaches those in an 88-level Journey and drills them in timed Dojo sets. Good Sudoku's hardest puzzles, per its listing, need XYZ-Wings, Jellyfish and Swordfish, and it sells a Full Game Unlock at $4.99.
If you want to stop paying for, or seeing, ads
A reviewer on nerByte Sudoku's listing says they could not find where to pay to remove the ads. The App Store lists it as Sudoku No Ads at $7.99. If you would rather not buy anything, Sudoku Royale is free with no ads, no purchases and no account needed to start; its only shop trades earned shurikens for avatar outfits. Get Sudoku Royale and try a few puzzles at your usual level. Brainium also shows ads, and sells Remove Ads at $11.99. More options are on our no-ads sudoku list.
When to stay with nerByte Sudoku
- You play without a signal. Its offline play has no restrictions; Royale's Daily, Dojo and hints need a connection.
- You play in landscape. It supports both orientations. Royale is portrait only on iPhone.
- You like solving the paper way. A reviewer chose it because nothing pops up when you enter a wrong number.
- You rely on its settings. Four color schemes, number size, Display Zoom and a mode to lock input to one number. Royale has number-first entry too, but far fewer settings.
- You need another language. It lists 24; Royale's app is English only.
For a direct head-to-head, read Sudoku Royale vs nerByte Sudoku. Every other matchup is on the comparisons page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does nerByte Sudoku have ads?
Yes. Its App Store listing sells "Sudoku No Ads" for $7.99 to remove them. Sudoku Royale has no ads and nothing to buy.
Is nerByte Sudoku still updated?
Its last App Store update was on February 25, 2025. The facts table on this page shows when each alternative was last updated.
Which nerByte Sudoku alternative has undo?
Sudoku by Mind The Frog lists undo and redo; Stress Free Sudoku lists full undo with no timers. Brainium added undo, per a version note. Sudoku Royale has no undo.
Which sudoku app has more difficulty levels than nerByte?
Mind The Frog has six levels up to diabolical, and Sudoku Royale has six up to Extreme. nerByte lists five, from Fast to Expert.
Is there a sudoku app whose hints do not solve the step for me?
Sudoku Royale's hint marks a cell and names the technique without giving the number. Good Sudoku's hint reads your notes to find the technique you need next. A reviewer says nerByte's hint fills in and corrects your notes.
Which alternative plays fully offline like nerByte?
Sudoku by Mind The Frog says it offers unlimited grids on or offline. Sudoku Royale only partly: Practice puzzles already downloaded and the Journey work offline, but the Daily Challenge, Dojo and hints do not.