Sudoku Now! Alternatives: Fewer Ads, Undo and Offline Play

Most people look for a Sudoku Now! alternative because of its ads, which its No-Ads Pack ($12.99) removes. The right replacement depends on which of its features you would miss. For no ads at all and hints that teach, try Sudoku Royale, accepting that it has no undo and its daily needs a connection. For unlimited undo and a calm, timer-free board, Stress Free Sudoku. For full offline play and a cheaper one-time ad removal, nerByte Sudoku.

Sudoku Now! is young (released in 2025) and has already gathered 10,049 US ratings. Its listing covers a lot: over 20,000 puzzles, five levels up to Master, an Instant Input Mode, candidates that update as you play, smart hints that teach techniques, unlimited undo, offline play, and daily challenges with seasonal events. Any alternative will drop some of that, so it helps to know what you are leaving for.

The App Store facts

From each app's US App Store listing, checked October 26, 2026. Prices and paid items change, so check the listing before you buy.

Sudoku Now!'s features, and who else has them

Each row is a feature from Sudoku Now!'s own listing. The other columns say what each alternative's listing claims, or what we verified for Sudoku Royale. "Not in listing" means the listing is silent, not that the feature is missing.

If the ads are the problem

Reviews on Sudoku Now!'s listing are specific about the ads: they describe ads that open the App Store or a browser, and in-game ads with no mute button. Paying for No-Ads Pack fixes that for $12.99. If you would rather not pay, or not pay that much, there are three routes.

Sudoku Royale has no ads, no purchases and no subscription, so there is nothing to remove. It is the closest match on teaching: like Sudoku Now!, its hint shows a technique rather than just a number. In Practice the bulb lights after about 90 seconds without progress, marks a cell and names the pattern (a hidden single, say), then links to the lesson. It also goes one level higher, with Extreme above Master. What you give up: undo, automatic candidates, and offline play for the Daily Challenge and hints. Get Sudoku Royale if those trade offs suit you.

nerByte Sudoku keeps an ad removal model but its Sudoku No Ads costs less ($7.99). Its listing promises step-by-step explanatory hints and offline play without restrictions, which covers two of Sudoku Now!'s strengths.

Sudoku by MobilityWare+ is an Apple Arcade game, so it has no ads and no purchases if you already pay for Arcade. It starts you on smaller, colored grids, with a classic black and white board available from the menu.

If you rely on undo

Unlimited undo is one of Sudoku Now!'s listed features, and plenty of players solve by trying a number and taking it back. Stress Free Sudoku is the clearest match: full undo support, no timers at all, 200,000 puzzles across five levels, and highlighting you can switch off piece by piece. Its age rating notes advertising. Brainium also has undo, mentioned in a recent version note.

Sudoku Royale is the wrong pick here. It has no undo: each number is checked as you place it and a wrong one is rejected. That keeps errors off the board, but if undo is how you think, you will miss it. Our guide to solving without guessing explains why a proper puzzle never requires trial and error.

If you want to get better, not just play more

Sudoku Now!'s hints teach, but one reviewer notes that on its hardest mode the hint sometimes just reveals a number. If that is where you are stuck, two apps go deeper.

Good Sudoku names the techniques each level needs, and its hardest puzzles call for Swordfish and Jellyfish. Its hint reads your notes to find the technique you are missing. It sells a Full Game Unlock for $4.99.

Sudoku Royale builds a course around its hints: an 88-level Journey that teaches one technique per chapter, timed Dojo drills for patterns like X-Wing, and a coach that replays positions from your own games.

If you like the daily challenges and medals

Sudoku Now!'s mix of daily challenges and seasonal events with collectible medals is the same loop Sudoku.com's listing describes, with daily trophies and seasonal medals. Sudoku.com is free with ads and sells Sudoku.com No Ads at $14.99. If you want a daily you can compare with other people, Sudoku Royale's Daily Challenge ranks you against friends and the world and keeps an archive of past days.

When to stay with Sudoku Now!

• You play offline and want undo. Sudoku Now! lists both, plus hints that teach. None of the alternatives above lists all three.
• Instant Input Mode suits you. Its fast entry is a feature its listing calls unique.
• Paying once is fine. No-Ads Pack removes the main complaint, and the rest of the app is well reviewed.

For a wider view, see the best offline sudoku apps, the sudoku apps with no ads and every matchup on the comparisons page.