Best Sudoku App in 2026: 9 Apps Compared

Sudoku.com, made by Easybrain, is the easiest recommendation for most people. It is free to download on iPhone and Android, it covers the standard difficulty levels, and it adds daily challenges that give casual players a reason to return. The interface is clean, error tracking is straightforward, and progress saves as you play. If you just want a solid sudoku app without thinking hard about it, this is where to start.

The main drawback is ads in the free version. They appear between puzzles rather than during solving, which is less disruptive than some rivals, but they still break the flow. A paid upgrade removes ads, and app store listings have listed it around $4.99 per month or a one-time option, though prices vary by store and region. Check the listing on your device before paying, and try the free version for a week first.

Good Sudoku, by Zach Gage and Jack Schlesinger, treats solving as a skill to build, not just a grid to fill. Its hint system looks at your entries and notes, then points to the next logical technique instead of simply giving you an answer. Daily modes get harder through the week, and a custom mode lets you enter a puzzle from paper and work through it in the app. For a player stuck at medium difficulty, this teaching approach is genuinely useful.

The catch is platform and price. Good Sudoku is best known on iOS, so Android players will need a different pick from this list. It is free to download, with a one-time in-app purchase for the full version, historically listed around $4. Check the current App Store listing, since in-app prices change. If you play on iPhone and want to get better, the upgrade is easy to justify.

Brainium Sudoku suits players who want a calm, uncluttered grid and nothing else competing for attention. It offers endless puzzles, daily challenges, and a straightforward difficulty range, with a design that stays out of the way. That simplicity is a strength for a morning puzzle habit or a wind-down game before bed. It works on both iPhone and Android, so it also suits households with mixed devices.

Ads are the trade-off in the free version, and an upgrade removes them. Variant lovers may also find it thin, since Brainium focuses on classic sudoku rather than a large library of alternative grids. If classic puzzles and a quiet interface are what you want, Brainium is a strong, low-friction choice.

Sudoku Quest takes a different path from the calm, minimal apps on this list. It wraps puzzles in a light story and a level system, with thousands of levels and variations to work through. That structure suits players who like goals, rewards, and a sense of forward motion, rather than an endless stream of identical grids. It is available on iOS, Android, and Kindle, which covers most devices.

The game-like layer is also its weakness. Ads appear in the free version, and some harder levels add time pressure that does not suit every solver. If you solve for relaxation, a quieter app like Brainium may fit better. If you solve for fun and progression, Sudoku Quest gives you more to chase.

Andoku Sudoku 3 is the pick for Android players who have outgrown classic grids. It offers many variants, from irregular shapes to extra constraints, plus detailed statistics that track your solving over time. That depth makes it a favorite among serious hobbyists who want to measure improvement and try new puzzle types without switching apps. Offline play works well, which matters for commutes and travel.

The interface is denser than the cleanest apps here, and the app is strongest on Android. New players may also find the variant list overwhelming at first. Start with classic puzzles, then add one variant at a time. If you already know you like variants, Andoku gives you more of them in one place than most rivals.

Microsoft Sudoku is the natural choice if you mainly solve on a Windows PC or Xbox rather than a phone. It offers classic puzzles plus extra modes, daily challenges, and a polished presentation that fits a larger screen. Progress and achievements tie into the Microsoft ecosystem, which suits players who already use it for other games. It is free to start, with in-app options depending on platform.

Phone-first players may find it less handy than Sudoku.com or Brainium, since its strength is the desktop and console experience. Touch controls and portability matter more on a phone, and that is where the mobile specialists win. For a desk or living room solver, though, Microsoft Sudoku is a solid, free starting point.

Conceptis Sudoku comes from a puzzle publisher with a long catalog, and that shows in the variety. Alongside classic sudoku, Conceptis offers irregular grids and other logic puzzles, which suits players who like to rotate between puzzle types. The puzzles feel carefully made rather than randomly generated, and the site and apps let you play on the web as well as on a phone. If you enjoy logic puzzles in general, not just sudoku, Conceptis gives you more to explore.

Free play is limited compared with the fully free apps here, and some content sits behind payment. Check what is included free before you settle in, and compare it with a free-first app if budget matters. For variety and puzzle craft, Conceptis still earns its place.

Sudoku Coach, at sudoku.coach, is built for players who want to understand techniques rather than just finish grids. It explains solving methods, shows how a technique applies to a live puzzle, and helps you practice the step you are missing. That makes it a good companion to a phone app: solve daily puzzles in your main app, then use Sudoku Coach when you get stuck on a harder technique. It runs in a browser, so there is nothing to install.

It is less suited as your only sudoku app if you want daily challenges, streaks, and offline phone play. Premium features also require payment, so check the current plan details on the site. As a learning tool, though, it fills a gap that most game-style apps leave open.

Web Sudoku is the simplest option on this list, and sometimes simple wins. Open the site, pick a difficulty, and solve. There is no app to install, no account to create, and no store purchase to consider. That makes it ideal for a work computer, a shared device, or a player who only solves occasionally and does not want another app on their phone.

The trade-off is depth. Web Sudoku does not offer the stats, variants, teaching tools, or daily systems of the apps above. It also looks plain next to modern phone apps. If you solve every day and want progress tracking, pick one of the apps above. If you want a puzzle right now, with no friction, Web Sudoku does the job.