Sudoku by Staple Games is a plain, well-liked sudoku app: four levels, a daily challenge, notes and a hint that fills in a number. It is free and its App Store age rating notes advertising. Its listing shows no in-app purchases, so there is no paid way listed to switch the ads off. If that is why you are looking, the closest swaps are Sudoku Royale (no ads, nothing to buy) and Sudoku by MobilityWare+ (no ads, part of Apple Arcade). If you want hints that explain rather than fill in, look at Brainium, nerByte, Good Sudoku or Sudoku Royale.
Staple's app has been on the App Store since 2021 and has 104,454 US ratings, so plenty of people are happy with it. Players leave it for three reasons: the ads, wanting more than four difficulty levels, and a hint that hands over the answer instead of showing why it is the answer. The six apps below each fix at least one of those.
The App Store facts
| App | Price and ads | Paid options listed | US rating | Last update | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudoku by Staple Games | Free, ads, no in-app purchases | None listed | 4.8 from 104,454 ratings | October 7, 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Sudoku by MobilityWare+ | Apple Arcade subscription, no ads | None listed | 4.8 from 32,497 ratings | August 12, 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.
Levels, hints and ads, side by side
Everything in this table comes from each app's own listing, or for Sudoku Royale from the app itself. Where a listing does not mention something, the table says so rather than guessing.
| App | Difficulty levels | What a hint does | Ads and paying | What it adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudoku by Staple Games | Four: easy to expert | Fills in a missing number | Free, ads, no in-app purchases | Removes a number from the keypad once all nine are placed |
| Sudoku Royale | Six: Easy to Extreme | Names the technique and the cell, not the number | No ads, nothing to buy | 88-level Journey, technique drills, daily archive |
| Brainium Sudoku | Five: beginner to expert | Explains the logic behind the answer | Ads, Remove Ads $11.99 | Landscape with a left-handed option, auto-fill notes |
| Sudoku by Mind The Frog | Six: easy to diabolical | Not described in its listing | Remove Ads $1.99 | Undo and redo, 10 grids in progress at once, tiny download |
| nerByte Sudoku | Five: Fast to Expert | Step-by-step explanation | Sudoku No Ads $7.99 | Adjustable number size and colors, landscape |
| Good Sudoku | Five | Points you to the next technique you need | Full Game Unlock $4.99 | Type in a puzzle from paper in Custom mode |
| Sudoku by MobilityWare+ | Smaller starter puzzles, with Hard in settings | Not described in its listing | Apple Arcade subscription, no ads | Colored grids, weekly events |
If the ads are the problem
With most free sudoku apps you can pay once to make the ads go away. Staple's listing shows no purchases at all, so as far as the App Store tells you, the ads are permanent. That leaves two kinds of alternative.
Apps with no ads to begin with. Sudoku Royale has none and sells nothing; the only shop in it is for avatar outfits, paid with shurikens you earn by solving. Sudoku by MobilityWare+ is ad-free because it ships inside Apple Arcade, which is worth it if you already pay for Arcade and less so if you would be subscribing for one game.
Apps with a one-time ad removal. Brainium, Mind The Frog and nerByte all list a single purchase that turns ads off. Mind The Frog's is the cheapest of the three on the current listings. Good Sudoku is different again: its listing sells a Full Game Unlock, and it is the unlock, not ad removal, that you are paying for. Our best sudoku apps with no ads page covers more of these.
If you want a hint that teaches
Staple's hint, by its own description, fills in a missing number. That gets you moving again, but the next time the same pattern comes up you are stuck in the same place. Four of the alternatives take the opposite approach.
- Brainium calls its hint a learning tool: it shows the technique and why it works, with animations on the board. See our Brainium alternatives if you have used it before.
- nerByte lists explanatory hints with step-by-step instructions.
- Good Sudoku runs a solver while you play and points at the next technique you need. Its hardest puzzles, per its listing, need Swordfish and Jellyfish.
- Sudoku Royale lights a bulb after about 90 seconds without progress in Practice. It names the technique and the cell, say a hidden single, and leaves the number to you. The hint needs a connection.
If four levels feel too few
Staple stops at expert. Mind The Frog goes to "diabolical" across six levels, and Sudoku Royale adds Master and Extreme above Expert, each unlocking after a run of solves at the level below. The top of Sudoku Royale needs techniques like X-Wing, and the Journey teaches them in order, one chapter per technique.
Where Staple's app is still the better pick
- You like it simple. Its whole pitch is a design that removes distractions, and the feature list is short on purpose. Sudoku Royale has more going on: a Journey map, a weekly belt league, optional live games.
- You want the keypad to tell you when a number is done. Staple removes a digit once all nine are placed.
- You just want an answer when stuck. A hint that fills a cell is quicker than one that makes you find it.
- You rely on undo. Sudoku Royale has no undo. It rejects a wrong number the moment you place it, so there is less to undo, but if you like to try and take back, Mind The Frog lists undo and redo.
- Track record. Sudoku Royale launched in 2026 and has far fewer ratings.
Which one to switch to
For the same calm, classic grid without ads and without paying, get Sudoku Royale. If you already have Apple Arcade, MobilityWare+ costs you nothing extra. If you are happy to pay once and want the strongest teaching hints, Brainium or Good Sudoku. For a wider look, see the Tripledot Sudoku alternatives, the best sudoku apps for beginners and every page on our sudoku app comparisons hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sudoku by Staple Games have ads?
Yes. Its App Store age rating notes advertising. Its listing shows no in-app purchases, so there is no ad removal listed to buy.
Can I pay to remove ads in Sudoku by Staple Games?
Not according to its App Store listing, which shows no in-app purchases. If you want to pay once to remove ads, Brainium, Mind The Frog and nerByte each list a single ad removal purchase.
What does the hint do in Staple's sudoku?
Its listing says the hint fills in a missing number when you are stuck. Apps like Brainium, nerByte, Good Sudoku and Sudoku Royale explain or name the technique instead.
Which alternative has the most difficulty levels?
Sudoku Royale and Sudoku by Mind The Frog each have six. Sudoku Royale's go from Easy to Extreme; Mind The Frog's go from easy to diabolical. Staple's app has four.
Is there a free sudoku app with no ads at all?
Sudoku Royale is free with no ads and no in-app purchases. Sudoku by MobilityWare+ has no ads but needs an Apple Arcade subscription (Apple Arcade subscription, no ads).
Does Sudoku Royale have undo?
No. It checks each number as you place it and rejects a wrong one, so mistakes never stay on the board, but there is no undo button.