Best Sudoku Apps Without a Subscription

Most sudoku apps on the App Store do not need a subscription. Of the 16 we checked, 6 sell renewing plans, and one is an Apple Arcade game. Sudoku Royale and Sudoku Face Off sell nothing at all. Six others are free with ads and sell a single payment that removes them for good, and Good Sudoku sells a one-time full unlock. This page sorts them by how they charge, using only the paid items Apple shows on each listing, so you can see what you are signing up for before you download.

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.

How each app charges

We class an app as a subscription app when a paid item on its App Store listing is named for a week, month, year, membership or annual plan. Apple shows each app's top paid items, not always every one.

Free, with nothing to buy

Sudoku Royale has no in-app purchases, no subscription and no ads. There is no premium tier holding back levels or hints: all six difficulty levels, the Daily Challenge with its archive, the 88-level Journey and the Dojo drills open from the first launch, and you can play as a guest without an account. The only thing it sells, in a sense, is avatar outfits, and those cost shurikens, a currency you earn by solving.

Sudoku Face Off also lists no purchases. Its listing says "No ads, no subscriptions" and adds "Free in 2026", so read that as a statement about this year rather than a promise. It is built around live races against friends, with solo modes on the side.

Pay once to remove ads

Brainium Sudoku, Sudoku.com, nerByte Sudoku, Sudoku by Mind The Frog, Sudoku Now! and Sudoku Puzzle World are free to play with ads, and each lists a one-time purchase that removes them. After that you own the ad-free version; no renewal date, nothing to cancel. Prices range widely, from $1.99 for Sudoku by Mind The Frog's Remove Ads to $14.99 for Sudoku.com's Sudoku.com No Ads. If you already like one of these apps and plan to keep it for years, a single payment is often the cheapest way to an ad-free board.

Good Sudoku works differently: its listing sells Full Game Unlock $4.99, a one-time purchase rather than an ad remover. It is known for hints that teach techniques; our Sudoku Royale vs Good Sudoku page compares the two teaching approaches.

The subscription apps

PeopleFun Sudoku, Meowdoku!, Sudoku Blast!, Sudoku: Brain Puzzle Games, Sudoku Puzzle: Brain Games and Sudoku :) all list renewing plans. Some sell more than one tier. Meowdoku lists Meowdoku Premium Plus Weekly(1Week) $6.99, Meowdoku Premium Weekly(1 Week) $3.99 among others, and Sudoku Puzzle: Brain Games mixes subscriptions with hint packs. Note that Meowdoku's listing describes a cat-placement logic puzzle that mixes sudoku and Minesweeper rules, not classic 9x9 sudoku.

A subscription is not automatically a bad deal. PeopleFun's plan exists only to remove ads, and its listing calls it optional. But a weekly plan adds up fast, and it is easy to forget one is running. Two of these apps, Sudoku :) and Sudoku: Brain Puzzle Games, also list a one-time ad removal next to their plans, so check the paid items before you tap the first offer you see. More on this in the Meowdoku alternatives and PeopleFun Sudoku alternatives.

Apple Arcade: a subscription by another name

Sudoku by MobilityWare+ has no ads and no in-app purchases, because it is an Apple Arcade game. If you already pay for Arcade, it costs nothing extra. If you do not, it is the one app here you cannot play at all without a monthly fee.

Where a paid app is the better pick

• You want undo or auto pencil marks. Sudoku Royale has neither. It checks every number as you place it instead.
• You play on Android. Sudoku Royale is iPhone and iPad only. Sudoku.com, for one, is also on Android.
• You want variants. Sudoku Royale is classic 9x9 only. Sudoku: Brain Puzzle Games' listing mentions Killer and Letter Sudoku; see the best killer sudoku apps.
• You value a long track record. Sudoku Royale launched in 2026 and has 11 US ratings. Brainium and Sudoku.com have been on the App Store for years, and a one-time purchase there is a safe bet.

Our pick

If you want classic sudoku with no plan, no ads and no purchase to think about, download Sudoku Royale. If you would rather pay once for a long-established app, Brainium Sudoku and Sudoku.com are the obvious one-time options. For the ad side of the question, see the best sudoku apps with no ads, and every head-to-head is on the comparisons page.