CrazyStone DeepLearning vs Surround
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CrazyStone DeepLearning
Play the game of Go against a powerful AI or other players worldwide. Test your skills with certification exams and track your progress in rating mode. Offers various board sizes and difficulty levels for all players.
- Online Go games against global players
- IAGA Rating Certification Tests
- 17 levels of play from 15k to 2d
- Export/import SGF game files
- Rating Mode with game history
- Human vs Computer and Human vs Human modes
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The strongest, the best Go app in the world based on Crazy Stone employing Deep Learning technology ! *New Features* -We have introduced an online game feature. Enjoy online games against players all over the world ! -IAGA Rating Certification Tests Challenge the Dan/Kyu tests provided by the International AI Go Association. -Premium Membership Completely ad free, higher levels and additional features for Premium Members. Crazy Stone has made a huge step forward by combining Deep Neural Networks with Monte Carlo Tree Search. The highest level of Crazy Stone Deep Learning has achieved 5d in kgs rating and in this lite version, we have provided you the highest level of 2d for FREE! * 17 levels of play from 15k to 2d There are 17 levels of play (15k-2d) for all the board sizes. Crazy Stone has improved not only in strength, but also in his style of play and the lower levels are perfect for players who want to learn the game of Go. Now, the strongest level for Premium Members is 5d. * IAGA Rating Certification Test Challenge the Dan/Kyu tests provided by the International AI Go Association. You will be awarded certificate images if you pass the tests. (You will need to register an AI Game Account to challenge the tests. Registration is free) * Export and import sgf game files You will be able to import and export game records in sgf format from other apps. Also you can copy game record data to the clipboard. * Rating Mode Test your skills with serious games against the AI, keeps track of the results of your games and the history of your rating! The Rating Mode will be partly unlocked if you reach 7k IAGA Rating. If you become a premium member, all of the Rating Mode features will be unlocked immediately. * Other features ・Friendly 3 input methods You can choose from 3 options of input methods (Zoom, Cursor & Touch). ・17 levels of play for each board size (9x9, 13x13, 19x19) ・Human vs Computer, Human vs Human (sharing a single device) ・Computer vs Computer Games ・Handicap games, variable options of Komi ・Hint (suggest) ・Instant Undo (available even when the computer is thinking) ・Automatic territory calculation ・Japanese/Chinese Rules ・Suspend/Re-start games ・Save/Load game record in sgf files ・Automatic and manual replay of a game record ・Highlight the last move ・COM resign feature ・Byoyomi games (You will not be able to select computer level in timed games) ・Atari warning ・Highlight the last move ・Play speed can be adjusted ■ Subscription Details The benefits of Premium Members are: -Completely ad free -Maximum AI playing strength will rise to 5dan -Play Rating Mode for all 3 board sizes -Challenge the IAGA Certification Tests higher than 7kyu About the subscription -Monthly Subscription for Premium Membership. -Customers will be charged a monthly fee to their iTunes Account. -The Subscription will be renewed automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of it's current period. -Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. How to cancel the subscription -Form the app Touch the Manage Subscription button and then touch Cancel Subscription. -From your device Move to Settings > iTunes Store and App Store > Apple ID > Subscription -It is not possible to prorate usage fees, cancel or refund the subscription for the current period. -After cancelling the subscription, you will be able to play Engine Server Games until the current subscription period expires. Privacy Policy https://www.unbalance.co.jp/privacy/en/igominna/ Terms of Use https://www.unbalance.co.jp/eula/en/igominna/ * This app is certified by International AI Go Association
Surround
Play the ancient strategy game of Go online with a global community. Engage in live or turn-based matches, observe ongoing games, and connect with other players. Receive timely notifications for your games and enjoy a sleek dark mode interface.
- Play live and turn-based Go games
- Observe ongoing games
- Chat with other players
- Home screen widget for correspondence games
- Notifications for game turns
- Dark mode support
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Surround is a client to play Go online with other players on the website online-go.com (Online Go Server - OGS). OGS is a very popular Go Server with a friendly community, and this app aims to provide the best OGS experience on iPhones and iPads. Features: - Play Go with other Go players on OGS, either live games or turn-based (correspondence) games. - Observe other live games that are currently being played. - Chat with other players. - Get a glimpse of your correspondence games on your home screen with a widget. - Receive notifications when it is your turn in correspondence games. - Beautiful dark mode. There are many more features on OGS website that I plan to implement into the app gradually, so I hope to have your support to make it happen faster. Let me know if there is any feature you specifically want to have first. This app offers subscriptions for supporting the app's ongoing development. If you decide to participate in the subscriptions: - Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. - The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. - All purchases are final. I cannot issue refunds for purchases charged to your Apple ID. The Terms of Use can be found at: https://files.honganhkhoa.com/SurroundTerms.html, and the Privacy Policy can be found at: https://files.honganhkhoa.com/SurroundPrivacyPolicy.html.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: CrazyStone DeepLearning at free with in-app purchases against Surround's subscription. CrazyStone DeepLearning also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (1K vs 49). Surround's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). 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
Both are free to download. CrazyStone DeepLearning sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month and Surround sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
CrazyStone DeepLearning holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CrazyStone DeepLearning has 1K ratings behind it against 49, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of CrazyStone DeepLearning's written reviews are positive against 83% of Surround's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
CrazyStone DeepLearning ships an update every 2 months, Surround fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CrazyStone DeepLearning | Surround |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1K ratings) — better | 4.4 (49 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 71.5% of reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1K — better | 49 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 165 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | UNBALANCE Corporation | Hong Anh Khoa |
Customer experience
CrazyStone DeepLearning
Surround
Bugs and requests
CrazyStone DeepLearning
Reported bugs
3 issues- Issues with input method and stone placement
- Sound not working
- Saved game state causing issues with ads
Requested features
5 requests- More advanced levels
- Ability to replay and explore game variations
- Option to slow down AI response
- Landscape mode support
- Analysis mode for premium users
Surround
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
CrazyStone DeepLearning
- CrazyStone DL Subscription$2.991 Month
Surround
- Surround App Supporter$0.491 Month
- Surround App Supporter$1.991 Month
- Surround App Supporter$4.991 Month
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- Surround App Supporter$9.991 Month
Questions
Is CrazyStone DeepLearning free?
Is Surround free?
Which has better reviews, CrazyStone DeepLearning or Surround?
Do CrazyStone DeepLearning or Surround have ads?
Which is updated more often, CrazyStone DeepLearning or Surround?
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