Comparison

Backgammon Messanger vs Backgammon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Backgammon Messanger

Experience a classic board game of skill and strategy. This app offers a digital version of a game with ancient origins, perfect for strategic play and recreation.

Highlights
  • Classic board game
  • Skill and strategy
  • Ancient origins
  • Recreational play
Features
Read full description

Backgammon is a game of skill and strategy and one of the world's classic parlour games, played for recreation and as a gambling game. Historically variants of this game are believed to have originated in Egypt over 3000 years ago, but was picked up by the Romans and then later to India.

About

Backgammon

Engage in classic backgammon with AI or live multiplayer opponents. This app offers a comprehensive experience with features like a doubling cube, rule tutorials, and detailed player statistics. Play offline or online to hone your strategic skills and climb the leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Online and offline play
  • Challenge AI or real players
  • Master the doubling cube
  • Learn and improve with hints
  • Track detailed player statistics
  • Play anywhere, portrait/landscape
Features
Read full description

Challenge adaptive AI, share the board with a friend in local pass-and-play, and master the doubling cube — all free, with dice you can actually trust. The most complete backgammon experience for iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision: sharpen your strategy with hints, track deep stats, and climb the leaderboards. * SMART, ADAPTIVE AI Beginner, Intermediate & Expert levels tuned to your playstyle — never a rigged board, just a smarter opponent. * PASS & PLAY Share one device and play a real match against a friend, head-to-head, no connection required. * LEARN & IMPROVE Move hints, legal-move highlights, and a full rules tutorial — go from your first roll to your first double with confidence. * REAL MATCH PLAY 1-point, 3-point & full matches, doubling cube, and the Crawford rule — tournament-standard play, not a simplified clone. * STATS THAT MATTER Elo-style rating, win/loss graphs, pip counts, and complete dice history, so you can see exactly how fair your rolls really are. * PLAY ANYWHERE Portrait or landscape, online or fully offline vs. AI. "The best free backgammon app—AI is tough, local play is smooth." – App Store review Also known as Tavla, Nardi, or Narde — this is backgammon the way it's meant to be played.

Screenshots

Backgammon Messanger1 screens
Backgammon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backgammon at 71% against Backgammon Messanger's 13%. Backgammon also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.7) and ratings volume (169 vs 46). Backgammon Messanger's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 169 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 13% of Backgammon Messanger's written reviews are positive against 71% of Backgammon's.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Backgammon Messanger versus Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon MessangerBackgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.7 (46 ratings)4.4 (169 ratings) — better
Positive reviews12.5% of reviews70.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings46169 — better
Update frequency—Fortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAmin DaheshLinda Mottley

Customer experience

Backgammon Messanger

All ratings46 ratings
Positive34.8%
Neutral6.5%
Negative58.7%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive12.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative87.5%

Backgammon

All ratings169 ratings
Positive86.4%
Neutral3.6%
Negative10.1%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive70.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative27.3%

Bugs and requests

Backgammon Messanger

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Backgammon

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App won't open
  • App freezes/hangs
  • Two taps required for one move
  • Incorrect move selection by AI
  • AI rolls are not random
Show 4 more
  • Display graphics obscure continue button
  • In 2-player mode, no menus appear when black starts
  • Software doesn't always display who goes first in 2-player hard mode
  • UI elements cover board pieces

Requested features

5 requests
  • Fix rigged AI rolls
  • Make AI more challenging/less predictable
  • Allow users to choose layout/design
  • Reconsider placement of move/undo buttons
  • Add option for cube

In-app purchases

None

Backgammon Messanger

No in-app purchases

None

Backgammon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backgammon Messanger free?
Backgammon Messanger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Messanger or Backgammon?
Backgammon is rated higher. Backgammon Messanger averages 2.7 out of 5 from 46 ratings, while Backgammon averages 4.4 from 169 ratings.
Do Backgammon Messanger or Backgammon have ads?
Backgammon shows ads; Backgammon Messanger does not.

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