Sudoku Royale vs Sudoku Face Off: Two Ad-Free Sudoku Apps

Sudoku Face Off and Sudoku Royale are both free, ad-free sudoku apps, and both let you play sudoku live against a friend. They start from opposite ends. Sudoku Face Off is a small app built around one idea, racing a friend to finish the same puzzle first, with solo modes for practice. Sudoku Royale is a classic solo sudoku app first, with lessons, a Daily Challenge and six levels, and live games as an optional extra. Pick by what you will do most: race friends, or solve on your own.

Sudoku Face Off is made by one developer, Magnus Kragelund, and came out in 2025. Its listing sums it up: "Race friends in live Sudoku on the same board, first to finish wins. No ads. No subscriptions." Sudoku Royale launched in 2026 and has 11 US ratings; Sudoku Face Off has 2. Neither has enough reviews yet for the star rating to tell you much.

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.

Feature by feature

How the live games differ

In a Sudoku Face Off race, you and your friend work on the same puzzle in real time and the first to finish wins. Then you rematch, which the app has made faster in recent updates, according to its version notes. It is a clean format: whoever solves better, wins.

Sudoku Royale's live games share one grid. When a player places a correct number, that cell is claimed for them and filled for everyone. A Duel is one opponent; Battle Royale puts up to 18 players on one board for a single round; Tournament runs several rounds and knocks out the lowest scorers. You can play friends unrated, or get matched with a rated opponent. Because cells are taken from you, it rewards speed on the easy cells as much as solving the hard ones, which some people love and others find less pure than a straight race. Read more in multiplayer sudoku apps.

Sudoku Face Off's listing makes a point of having no stranger ladders. If you only want to play people you know, that is a feature, not a gap. Royale lets you stay among friends too, but its public matches and ratings are there if you go looking.

Playing alone

This is where the apps differ most. Sudoku Face Off's solo side is daily, classic, hard and Master puzzles, with optional AI hints that teach techniques when you are stuck, and its listing says solo play works offline. It is described as training for the races.

Sudoku Royale's solo side is the app. Practice has six levels from Easy to Extreme, unlocked one after another. The Daily Challenge keeps a streak, ranks you against friends and the world, and lets you replay past days. The Journey teaches one technique per chapter, the Dojo drills patterns like the X-Wing, and a weekly belt league rewards ordinary solving. If most of your sudoku is alone on the sofa, Royale gives you far more to do.

Price, and the "Free in 2026" line

Both apps are free with no ads. Apple lists no in-app purchases for Sudoku Face Off. Its listing says "Free in 2026" without saying what happens after that, so it may change later. Sudoku Royale has no purchases, no subscription and no ads, with no date attached; the only shop sells avatar outfits for shurikens you earn by playing.

Where Sudoku Face Off is the better pick

• You mainly want to race one friend or partner. It is built for exactly that, with quick rematches.
• You prefer first-to-finish over claiming cells. Its race rewards solving the whole puzzle, not grabbing cells first.
• You want offline solo play. Its listing says solo works offline; Royale's Daily Challenge, Dojo and hints need a connection.
• You want a small, simple app. Fewer modes, less to learn. It was last updated on September 14, 2026.

Where Sudoku Royale is the better pick

• You play mostly alone. Six levels, a ranked daily puzzle with an archive, and unlimited Practice.
• You want to learn techniques. An 88-level Journey, drills, and a coach that uses your own games.
• You want to play a group, not one friend. Battle Royale and Tournament take many players; Play Nearby works in one room without internet.
• Your friend has no iPhone. In Clockwork, a turn-based game, an invited friend can play in a web browser.

Which one?

If live races with one person are the whole point, Sudoku Face Off is a focused, honest little app and worth a try. If you want a sudoku app you open every day on your own, with live games when friends are around, download Sudoku Royale. Our Sudoku Face Off alternatives page covers other options, and the comparisons page lists every matchup.