Good Sudoku is the stronger app for advanced solvers: its solver watches your notes to pick the next technique you need, its hardest puzzles go as far as Jellyfish and XYZ-Wing, and it can fill in your notes for you. It is free to download with a Full Game Unlock purchase at $4.99. Sudoku Royale costs nothing and has no ads, and it wraps its hints in a structured course (an 88-level Journey, timed Dojo drills and a coach that uses your own games), but its techniques stop earlier and it has no automatic notes. Both apps share an idea most sudoku apps skip: a hint should teach you the move, not give you the number.
The App Store facts
| App | Price and ads | Paid options listed | US rating | Last update | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudoku Royale | Free, no in-app purchases | None listed | 4.8 from 11 ratings | October 23, 2026 | iPhone, iPad, Mac, 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 |
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 one teaches
Good Sudoku's listing explains its approach in detail. It runs a solver while you play, so when you are stuck it looks at the numbers and notes you have entered, works out what you already know, and points you at the next technique. Each difficulty level lists the exact techniques it requires, you can practise a technique on its own outside a puzzle, and the app tracks which ones you have learned.
Sudoku Royale splits the teaching across several places. In Practice, a hint bulb lights after about 90 seconds without progress; it marks a cell and names the technique, such as a hidden single or a naked pair, and links to the lesson. The Journey walks through one technique per chapter over 88 levels, from first steps to XY-Wing. The Dojo turns 15 groups of patterns into timed drills, and the Sensei coach picks positions from your own recent games for you to replay. A skills radar shows where you are slow or inaccurate.
The practical difference: Good Sudoku's help responds to the exact state of your board, including your notes. Royale's strength is the repetition around the hint. Royale's hint also needs an internet connection and appears only in Practice.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Sudoku Royale | Good Sudoku |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, no ads, no purchases | Free download, Full Game Unlock purchase |
| Puzzle library | About 500,000 puzzles | Over 70,000, per its listing |
| Difficulty levels | Six: Easy to Extreme | Five |
| Hardest techniques | Dojo up to X-Wing, Swordfish, XY-Wing, Simple Colouring | Listing names XYZ-Wing, hidden quadruples, Jellyfish, Swordfish |
| Hints | Names the technique and cell, links to a lesson (Practice only) | Solver reads your answers and notes, shows the next technique |
| Technique practice | 88-level Journey, Dojo drills, Sensei coach | Practise each technique outside puzzles, tracks what you learned |
| Automatic notes | No; notes clear when you place a number | Optional busywork tools; a version note adds auto-notes at puzzle start |
| Mistakes | Checked on entry, wrong numbers rejected | Arcade mode has hearts, per a version note |
| Undo | No | Not stated in the listing |
| Modes | Practice, Daily Challenge, Journey, Dojo | Good, Arcade, Eternal, plus three daily modes |
| Daily puzzle | One a day, streaks, friends and world leaderboard, archive | Three daily modes that get harder through the week, global leaderboards |
| Your own puzzles | No | Custom mode: import and share |
| Sync | Through your Sudoku Royale account | iCloud, per a version note |
| Playing with others | Optional weekly Belts league and live matches | Leaderboards only |
Price and upkeep
Good Sudoku lists one purchase, Full Game Unlock, at $4.99. The listing does not say what the free version leaves out, though an older version note mentions updating "our ad system", so expect the free version to be supported by ads. Zach Gage also publishes Good Sudoku+ on Apple Arcade, if you already subscribe there.
The app has been on the App Store since 2020 and has 1,332 US ratings. Its last update was on July 21, 2025. Sudoku Royale is the new one: it launched in 2026, has 11 US ratings so far. It has no ads and nothing to buy, ever; the only shop sells avatar outfits for shurikens you earn by solving.
Notes and busywork
Good Sudoku argues that counting candidates is busywork and offers optional tools to remove it, so you spend your attention on technique structures instead. If you like that idea, Royale will feel manual: you write every note yourself, though they are cleared from the row, column and box when you place a number. Royale also checks every number as you place it and rejects a wrong one, with no switch to turn that off and no undo.
Where Good Sudoku is the better pick
- You want the hardest techniques. Jellyfish, XYZ-Wing and hidden quadruples are beyond anything Royale teaches today. See our picks for advanced players.
- You want automatic notes. Royale has none.
- You solve puzzles from a book or newspaper. Good Sudoku's Custom mode imports them, and its hints work on any standard puzzle.
- You want a daily puzzle at three difficulties. Royale has one Daily Challenge.
Where Sudoku Royale is the better pick
- Nothing to unlock and no ads. Everything is free from the first launch, with no account needed.
- A guided path. The Journey sets the order for you, which suits players who do not know what to learn next. Our beginner app guide compares the teaching apps.
- Drills against the clock. The Dojo builds speed on each pattern until you spot it at a glance.
- A free daily archive and a friends league. Past Daily Challenges back to January 2026, and a weekly belt league.
Which should you choose?
If you already solve at a high level and want a solver that reads your notes and pushes you toward Jellyfish, Good Sudoku is worth the unlock. If you are building up from the basics, want structured practice and would rather not pay, get Sudoku Royale. For more options see the Good Sudoku alternatives, how Royale compares with Brainium Sudoku, and every matchup on the comparisons page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Good Sudoku free?
Good Sudoku is free to download, and its App Store listing sells a "Full Game Unlock" purchase for $4.99. Its listing does not spell out what the free version leaves out. Sudoku Royale is free with no ads and nothing to buy.
Which app teaches sudoku techniques better?
Good Sudoku's hint reads your answers and notes and shows the next technique, and its puzzles go as far as Jellyfish and XYZ-Wing. Sudoku Royale's hint names the technique and links to a lesson, and adds an 88-level Journey, timed Dojo drills and a coach built from your own games. Good Sudoku goes deeper; Royale gives more structure.
Does Sudoku Royale have auto notes like Good Sudoku?
No. In Sudoku Royale you write notes yourself; they are cleared automatically from the row, column and box when you place a number. Good Sudoku offers optional tools that remove that busywork.
Can I import my own puzzles?
In Good Sudoku, yes: its Custom mode imports puzzles from elsewhere and lets you share them. Sudoku Royale has no import.
Is Good Sudoku still updated?
Its App Store listing shows the last update on July 21, 2025. Sudoku Royale's last update was on October 23, 2026.
What is Good Sudoku+?
Good Sudoku+ is Zach Gage's Apple Arcade edition of the game, listed on the App Store under his other apps. It comes with an Apple Arcade subscription.