# Smart Othello vs Rustling Paws

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Rustling Paws at none against Smart Othello's 1. Rustling Paws also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Smart Othello's advantage is ratings volume (535 vs 8) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smart Othello sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Rustling Paws asks for nothing beyond the download.

Rustling Paws holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Othello has 535 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Smart Othello ships an update every 2 months, Rustling Paws fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Othello | Rustling Paws |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (535 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-othello/id1056367184/reviews) | **[4.8 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustling-paws/id6753298854/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **535** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 65.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 7 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smart Go, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/290948289) | [Martin Cabana](https://appshunter.io/developer/1843369073) |

## 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


### Rustling Paws

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rustling-paws/id6753298854)

Explore a serene, autumnal forest world filled with gentle inhabitants. Engage in thoughtful interactions, observe seasonal changes, and enjoy a calming, reflective experience.

**Highlights:** Serene autumnal forest environment, Interactive gentle inhabitants, Seasonal world changes, Reflective gameplay, Calming atmosphere, Exploration and observation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Othello free?

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

### Is Rustling Paws free?

Rustling Paws is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Smart Othello or Rustling Paws?

Rustling Paws is rated higher. Smart Othello averages 4.6 out of 5 from 535 ratings, while Rustling Paws averages 4.8 from 8 ratings.

### Do Smart Othello or Rustling Paws have ads?

Neither Smart Othello nor Rustling Paws shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Othello or Rustling Paws?

Smart Othello ships an update every 2 months, and Rustling Paws fortnightly. Most recently, Smart Othello was updated on October 14, 2026 and Rustling Paws on September 23, 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.*