A clean sudoku app for players who want no ads
⋆Sudoku by Brainium Studios is known for a simple board. If banner ads or the price of removing them have put you off, here is what a different kind of sudoku app looks like.
⋆Sudoku by Brainium Studios is a free app with five difficulty levels, from beginner to expert, and a high App Store rating. This page is for players who have started to notice the advertising in the free version, or who are unsure whether to pay to remove it. It is also for anyone who just wants a sudoku that stays out of the way.
Why people look for a Brainium Sudoku alternative
The reasons below come up often in what players report, so they are worth knowing before you decide.
Ads in the free version. The listing for ⋆Sudoku says “Contains Advertising”. Players commonly report banner ads while they play and ads shown before a game starts. Those interruptions are most noticeable when you are trying to concentrate on a hard grid.
Paying to remove them. The Remove Ads in-app purchase is listed at $11.99 in the US App Store at the time of writing. That is a reasonable price for some players. Hush takes a different route: its free levels never show ads, so there is nothing to pay to remove.
Changes over time. A 2024 update removed a press-and-hold number pop-up, and some players had missed it. A 2025 review also mentions that the difficulty levels were changed.
Ads after paying. Brainium’s help center has an article for people who paid to remove ads but still see them. It explains how to restore the purchase. It is a support article about a specific situation, so it is worth reading if you decide to pay.
What Hush does differently
Hush has no advertising in any version. It shows no banners, no videos after a puzzle and no pop-ups, so there is nothing to remove later. Read more about why Hush has no ads.
- No mistake limit. A wrong entry never ends the game. The game does not end after three errors, so you can keep going at your own pace.
- Notes that tidy up. Notes clean themselves up when you place a number. You can also fill in all notes at once.
- Highlights and undo. Row, column, box and matching numbers are highlighted, and you can undo any move.
- Difficulty by technique. Easy needs singles only. Medium adds locked candidates and pairs. Hard and Expert add the harder patterns, such as triples, X-Wing, Swordfish and the XY-Wing family.
- A daily puzzle. Hush has one puzzle a day, the same for everyone and new every day. It is always free: Medium from Monday to Thursday and Hard from Friday to Sunday. An optional local reminder can nudge you to play.
- One small purchase. Easy, Medium and the daily puzzle are free without limits. Hush Plus costs $4.99 once and unlocks Hard and Expert without limit.
- Fully offline. All puzzles ship with the app, so you can play without a connection. See offline sudoku for more.
A clean, minimalist sudoku app
Hush is designed to be a minimalist sudoku app. It is always light, with soft colors and gentle haptics. A finished row glows briefly, and nothing else on the screen competes with the grid. On iPhone Duo, the board sits on the left and a large number pad on the right when the app is open, and iPad works in every orientation.
If you like a simple, distraction-free sudoku, that calm approach is the point. Hush has four colour moods in total, and the free version includes one of them. Hush Plus unlocks the other three.
Hush vs Brainium Sudoku at a glance
| Hush | Brainium Sudoku (⋆Sudoku) | |
|---|---|---|
| Download | Free – Easy, Medium and a daily puzzle, unlimited | Free |
| Ads | None, in any version | Yes – listing says “Contains Advertising” |
| Paid option | Hush Plus, one-time $4.99 (Hard and Expert unlimited) | “Remove Ads” in-app purchase, $11.99 (US) |
| Subscription | No | No subscription listed |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPhone Duo, iPad (iOS 26+) | iPhone, iPad, Android |
Competitor details from public App Store listings and price databases, checked November 2026. Prices vary by region and can change. Sources: App Pricing Lab – ⋆Sudoku in-app purchases; App Store – ⋆Sudoku listing and reviews.
For a detailed comparison, read Hush vs Brainium Sudoku.
What you might miss
Brainium’s app does several things well, and it may suit you better in some cases.
- Android and Vision Pro. ⋆Sudoku runs on iPhone, iPad, Android and Vision Pro. Hush runs on iPhone, iPhone Duo and iPad only.
- Five levels. Brainium lists five levels, from beginner to expert. Hush has four, and its Easy level uses singles only.
- A long track record. ⋆Sudoku has been around for a long time. Hush is launching now and has no history to point to yet.
- A high rating. The Australian App Store listing shows a rating of 4.6 at the time of writing. Hush does not publish ratings yet.
If an Android phone or a Vision Pro headset is part of your routine, Brainium’s app may be the right choice for you.
Who should switch
Hush is a good fit if you:
- want a sudoku with no advertising, free or paid,
- prefer a calm, light board with nothing competing for attention,
- would rather keep playing after a mistake than restart,
- want Hard and Expert puzzles that genuinely need harder techniques, and want to learn those techniques step by step,
- play on an iPhone, an iPhone Duo or an iPad.
How to try Hush
- Install Hush from the App Store once it is live. No account or sign-up is needed.
- Start with a few Easy or Medium puzzles to get used to the notes and highlights. The sudoku tips for beginners guide covers the habits that help most.
- Play your first 10 solved Hard or Expert puzzles for free. If you like them, Hush Plus unlocks them without limit.
- Keep ⋆Sudoku installed if you still enjoy it. You can compare the two for a week and keep the one that feels better on your phone.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Brainium Sudoku alternative without ads?
Yes. Hush has no ads in any version, including the free levels. Easy, Medium and the daily puzzle are free without limits, so you do not need to pay to remove anything.
How much does it cost to remove ads in Brainium Sudoku?
At the time of writing, the Remove Ads in-app purchase for ⋆Sudoku is listed at $11.99 in the US App Store. Hush Plus costs $4.99 once and unlocks unlimited Hard and Expert puzzles. It does not remove ads, because Hush never shows them.
Does Hush have five difficulty levels like Brainium Sudoku?
No. Hush has four levels, Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert. Each one is defined by the solving techniques a puzzle needs, not by the number of givens.
Does Hush have a mistake limit?
No. Hush has no mistake limit and no game over after three errors. A wrong entry never ends the game, and you can undo, use a hint or keep going.
Does Hush work without an internet connection?
Yes. All puzzles ship with the app, so Hush is fully offline. The only network use is Apple’s purchase system when you buy or restore Hush Plus.