# Smart Othello vs Dango

The clearest difference is update cadence: Dango at weekly against Smart Othello's every 2 months. Dango also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (82% vs 65%). Smart Othello's advantage is ratings volume (552 vs 6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Othello sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Dango sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Dango holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Othello has 552 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Smart Othello's written reviews are positive against 82% of Dango's.

Smart Othello ships an update every 2 months, Dango weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Othello | Dango |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (552 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-othello/id1056367184/reviews) | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dango-play-online-go-game/id6480587775/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **552** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 65.3% of reviews | **81.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smart Go, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/290948289) | [ODYSS LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854645222) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Othello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-othello/id1056367184)

Experience the classic strategy board game with this app. Play against friends or a computer with five difficulty levels. Improve your skills with a tutorial and helpful aids, making it easy to learn but challenging to master.

**Highlights:** Five computer play levels, Real-time matches via Game Center, Achievements and leaderboards, Blunder Guard, Hint, undo, and replay functions, Collection of top player games

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Pack | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Excellent AI with challenging difficulty levels
- 💡 Helpful hints and tips for learning
- ↩️ Undo button for reviewing mistakes
- 🎨 Clean, elegant, and intuitive interface
- 📚 Extensive expert database (126,000 matches)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 🔋 Excessive battery consumption
- 🌐 Online multiplayer doesn't work reliably
- 📧 Support email feature non-functional
- 🎮 Inconsistent difficulty scaling (too easy or too hard)

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on launch when Game Center is enabled
- Game crashes mid-play on certain difficulty levels
- Online play fails to find opponents or pair players
- App locks up when switching to other applications
- Game Center notifications excessive and intrusive

**Requested features**

- Fix online multiplayer functionality
- Add local 2-player head-to-head mode
- Implement time limits for online moves
- Add option to remove/customize player avatars
- Improve Game Center integration and sync


### Dango

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dango-play-online-go-game/id6480587775)

Engage in the strategic board game of Go anytime, anywhere. Challenge players globally, test your skills against AI, or spectate professional matches. Customize your experience with beautiful themes and connect with a vibrant community.

**Highlights:** Online Go matches, Play with friends, AI opponents with adjustable difficulty, Spectate professional games, Customizable themes, Search and connect with players

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| L1 | $1.99 | per month |
| L2 | $4.99 | per month |
| L3 | $14.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Othello free?

Smart Othello is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Dango free?

Dango is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Smart Othello or Dango?

Dango is rated higher. Smart Othello averages 4.5 out of 5 from 552 ratings, while Dango averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do Smart Othello or Dango have ads?

Neither Smart Othello nor Dango shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Othello or Dango?

Smart Othello ships an update every 2 months, and Dango weekly. Most recently, Smart Othello was updated on October 22, 2026 and Dango on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*