Sudoku.com is a sudoku app: as many puzzles as you want, at any level, free with ads or ad-free for a one-time $14.99. NYT Sudoku is three puzzles a day (easy, medium and hard) inside the NYT Games app, whose listing sells monthly Games plans at $4.99 to $5.99. If you want volume, Sudoku.com wins easily. If you want a short daily ritual alongside Wordle and the Crossword, NYT is the more natural home.
These are not really two versions of the same product. One is a dedicated sudoku app with a big library; the other is a fixed daily set from a newspaper's puzzle section. Knowing which habit you have is most of the answer.
The App Store facts
| App | Price and ads | Paid options listed | US rating | Last update | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudoku.com | Free, ads (remove for $14.99) | Sudoku.com No Ads $14.99 | 4.8 from 1.87 million ratings | October 16, 2026 | iPhone, iPad |
| NYT Games | Free, ads, in-app purchases | Games - Monthly $5.99, New York Times Crossword Subscription $6.99, Games - Monthly $4.99 | 4.8 from 297,885 ratings | October 21, 2026 | iPhone, iPad |
| Sudoku Royale | Free, no in-app purchases | None listed | 4.8 from 11 ratings | October 23, 2026 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, 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 NYT row describes the whole NYT Games app, not sudoku alone, so its ratings mostly reflect Wordle, Connections and the Crossword.
How you play each one
| Feature | Sudoku.com | NYT Sudoku (in NYT Games) |
|---|---|---|
| Puzzles | Thousands, play as many as you like | Three new puzzles a day |
| Difficulty | Easier levels up to expert | Easy, medium and hard |
| Daily puzzle | Daily Challenges with trophies | The three dailies are the format |
| Events | Seasonal Events with medals | Not in listing for Sudoku |
| Hints | Yes | The listing's hint forums cover other games |
| Mistake checking | Auto-check, on or off | Not stated in the listing |
| Notes | Update automatically when you fill a cell | Not stated in the listing |
| Stats and streaks | Statistics to track progress | Listed stats name other games, not Sudoku |
| Past puzzles | Not in listing | Subscriber archive names other games, not Sudoku |
| Ads | Yes, removable once | Age rating notes advertising |
| What you pay | Sudoku.com No Ads $14.99, one time | Games plans at $4.99 to $5.99 a month |
| Other games in the app | None (Killer Sudoku is a separate app) | Wordle, Crossword, Connections, Spelling Bee and more |
Volume against routine
Sudoku.com's listing talks about thousands of puzzles across levels from easy to expert, and says each puzzle has one solution. You can finish one and start the next straight away, all evening if you want. It is built for people who play sudoku as their main game.
NYT's listing gives Sudoku three lines: fill each box with 1 to 9, and play a new puzzle every day in easy, medium or hard mode. The appeal is the opposite of volume. Everyone gets the same three grids, you finish them, and you come back tomorrow. For many readers it is one stop on a morning round that also includes Wordle and the Mini.
Difficulty follows from that. NYT tops out at a single labelled hard puzzle a day. Sudoku.com's expert level is there whenever you want it, as often as you want it. If you are working toward techniques like the X-Wing, you need more hard puzzles than one a day.
Money: one purchase or a monthly plan
Sudoku.com is free to play with ads. Its only listed purchase is Sudoku.com No Ads at $14.99, and that is a one-time payment.
NYT Games is free to download. Its listing shows several "Games - Monthly" plans at $4.99 to $5.99, a separate Crossword subscription, and an archive of past puzzles for subscribers. The listing does not say whether non-subscribers can play all three sudokus, so check in the app. What it does make clear: the subscription pays for the whole NYT puzzle collection. If you already play the Crossword or Spelling Bee every day, sudoku is a bonus on something you pay for anyway. If sudoku is your only game there, you pay the monthly price for as long as you play, where Sudoku.com asks for one payment.
Tracking and help
Sudoku.com lists statistics, daily trophies and seasonal medals, and its helpers (hints, auto-check, duplicate highlighting) are all optional. NYT's listing is careful to name the games each feature covers. Stats are listed for the Crossword, Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections and Strands. The friends leaderboard covers Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and the Mini. Hints point to forums for Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and Strands. Sudoku appears in none of those lists. If streaks and leaderboards for your sudoku matter to you, that is worth knowing before you subscribe for it.
Where Sudoku.com is the better pick
- You play more than three puzzles a day. Its library does not run out.
- You want expert puzzles on demand. NYT gives you one hard grid a day.
- You would rather pay once than monthly. One purchase removes the ads for good.
- You want hints and auto-check. Both are in its listing; NYT's listing describes neither for Sudoku.
Where NYT Sudoku is the better pick
- You already pay for NYT Games. Then sudoku costs you nothing extra.
- You like a fixed daily set. Three graded puzzles, the same for every player, then done.
- You want one app for every daily puzzle. Wordle, Connections, the Crossword and sudoku in one place.
- You want the puzzles without a reward loop. The listing describes no medals or events for Sudoku, just the grids.
Both are well established: NYT Games has been on the App Store since 2009 with 297,885 US ratings, and Sudoku.com since 2017 with 1.87 million.
A third option: Sudoku Royale
Sudoku Royale sits between the two. Like NYT, it has a Daily Challenge with a streak, a leaderboard against friends and the world, and an archive of past days. Like Sudoku.com, it has unlimited Practice puzzles, here at six levels from Easy to Extreme. Unlike either, it has no ads, no purchases and no subscription. Its limits are real: one daily puzzle rather than three, no undo, and the daily needs a connection. It is also new, with 11 US ratings. We compare it directly with NYT Sudoku and Sudoku.com, or you can download Sudoku Royale and keep it next to either. More options are in our NYT Sudoku alternatives, the sudoku apps without a subscription and the full list of comparisons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NYT Sudoku better than Sudoku.com?
They suit different habits. NYT Sudoku is three daily puzzles (easy, medium, hard) inside the NYT Games app. Sudoku.com is a full sudoku app with thousands of puzzles at every level, hints and auto-check. For volume and practice, Sudoku.com; for a fixed daily set next to Wordle and the Crossword, NYT.
Do you have to pay for NYT Sudoku?
NYT Games is free to download, and its listing sells monthly Games plans at $4.99 to $5.99. The listing does not say which of the three daily sudokus are free. Sudoku.com is free with ads, and its ad removal is a one-time $14.99.
How many puzzles does Sudoku.com have compared with NYT?
Sudoku.com's listing describes thousands of classic puzzles you can play back to back. NYT publishes three new sudokus a day, one at each of easy, medium and hard.
Which is harder, NYT hard or Sudoku.com expert?
Neither app publishes the techniques its top level needs, so there is no exact answer. The practical difference is supply: NYT has one hard puzzle a day, while Sudoku.com's expert puzzles are there whenever you want another.
Does Sudoku.com have ads?
Yes. Its App Store age rating notes advertising, and its listing sells "Sudoku.com No Ads" for $14.99 to remove them.
Is there a free sudoku app with a daily puzzle and no ads?
Sudoku Royale has a Daily Challenge with streaks, a friends and world leaderboard and an archive, plus unlimited practice at six levels, with no ads, purchases or subscription. It runs on iPhone and iPad.