Comparison

Go Game Connect vs Goban3D

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

Head to head
About

Go Game Connect

Play the ancient game of Go with friends on your iPhone or iPad. Connect two devices locally via WiFi or remotely using Game Center for real-time play. Features include adjustable board sizes, handicap stones, and automatic scoring.

Highlights
  • Play Go on iPhone and iPad
  • Local WiFi or Game Center connection
  • Adjustable board sizes (19x19, 13x13, 9x9)
  • Handicap stone selection
  • Automatic capture and illegal move detection
  • Scoring for territories and captured stones
  • Voice and text chat via Game Center
Features
Read full description

Go Connect 1.4 allows you to play Go on iPhones and iPads using one shared device or two connected devices. The two connected devices share their board and their real-time moves through a local WiFi network or through Apple's Game Center. Using the Game Center, the two devices can be distant. This app does NOT 'play' Go itself - it is just a board and stones, not a player. You must know the basic rules of Go to use this app. * Select board size of 19x19 or 13x13 or 9x9 * Select number of handicap stones * Touch-and-drag or tap-and-tap to move stones from container * Touch-and-drag to move last moved stone again * Enlarge board with a single tap; return to full board with second tap; also responds to stretch and pinch finger gestures * Detects and removes captured stones * Detects and prevents illegal Ko moves * Play Board and separate Score Board * Scores Board scores indicated bordered territories and captured stones * Connect any two nearby devices together through WiFi * Play with distant friends using Apple's Game Center * Game Center voice chat and text messaging Is it free? The app - yes. The first 1000 stones come free with each device - try it. After that you must purchase (using IAP) stones for 3000 per $1 (about 10 cents per game). Purchased stones can be transferred from one device to other devices owned by the same user. Screenshots: 1) Example of game in mid-game; White has just played. (Actually this is the famous W160 move from 'The Game of the Century', 1933, White: Honinbo Shusai, Black: Go Seigen.) 2) Close-up (using stretch) of W160 (#1 above). 3) Scoring of a game (after completion of game in #1 above). (Please use Contact Us in the app if you see where White is +2 not +3.) 4) Enlarged board (by tapping the board) of a move in which Black captures 3 stones. 5) Starting screen when two devices are connected. Player who will be Black selects the number of handicap stones.

About

Goban3D

Experience the ancient game of Go with this app, offering both beautiful 3D and clean 2D board options. Play locally, challenge friends online, or test your skills against a powerful offline AI. It's designed for players of all levels, from beginners to advanced.

Highlights
  • Beautiful 3D and 2D board options
  • Offline AI play with 26 skill levels
  • Online matches with friends via Game Center
  • Local pass-and-play multiplayer
  • Multiple board and stone textures
  • Full accessibility features
Features
Read full description

Goban3D brings the ancient game of Go — also known as 囲碁 (igo), 바둑 (baduk), or 圍棋 (wéiqí) — to iPhone and iPad. Play on a beautifully rendered 3D goban or switch instantly to a clean 2D board. Local matches, private online games with friends via Game Center requested matches, and the world's strongest Go AI, KataGo, all in one app. Whether you've never placed a stone before, want a private match with a friend or club-mate, or are ready to test your skills against the strongest Go engine on the planet — Goban3D is for you. KATAGO AI (FREE, 100% OFFLINE) • The world's strongest open-source Go engine, running natively on Apple Silicon — no internet, no account, no data sent anywhere. The AI is fully on-device • Board sizes 9×9, 13×13, and 19×19 • 26 skill levels: 20 Kyu (complete beginner) through 5 Dan, plus full-strength AI for serious study • Weaker levels use KataGo's Human-style network (trained on human games) so the AI plays like a real person at your rank — not a crippled superhuman • Full-strength mode runs the latest strongest KataGo network published on katagotraining.org as of 15 April 2026 • There's an old Go proverb: "Lose your first 50 games as quickly as possible." Start on 9×9 at 20 Kyu — after 2 or 3 games, winning comes easier than you might think. Each time you win, raise the skill by 1 or 2. KataGo is the best Go teacher ever built, and it speaks every language ONLINE PLAY WITH FRIENDS • Private matches over Game Center with people already in your contacts • Invite a specific friend — no public matchmaking, no strangers • All online games are untimed — take your time and enjoy the game LOCAL PLAY • Two players on one device, pass-and-play • Board sizes: 9×9, 13×13, 19×19 • Handicap stones (0–9) with automatic komi adjustment • Japanese scoring with 6.5 komi — mark dead stones, confirm the score • Untimed by default — take your time and enjoy the game BOARD & VISUALS • 3D board powered by RealityKit — physically-based materials, 60 fps animations for every placement and capture • Instant 2D mode in SwiftUI for low-power play • 4 board textures, 8 stone textures, multiple ground and gridline options — all free • Haptic feedback and authentic wooden stone sound effects • NHK broadcast-style move announcements with optional Go terminology (atari, tsuke, hane, nobi...) ACCESSIBILITY — GO FOR EVERYONE Goban3D makes Go genuinely accessible — across ability, skill level, device, region, and language. No other Go app on the App Store declares any accessibility features. Goban3D has 100% coverage across all seven Apple categories: VoiceOver with full board-position labels, Voice Control, Dynamic Type, Reduce Motion, Reduce Transparency, Sufficient Contrast, and Differentiate Without Color. The app starts in 2D by default, and the 2D SwiftUI board is where the full accessibility stack lives — including complete VoiceOver board navigation. When VoiceOver is on, the 3D toggle is disabled to keep the accessible experience front and centre. A dedicated high-contrast mode and adjustable grid-line thickness help players with low vision. DEVICES • Also runs on Mac and visionOS via "Designed for iPad" • Minimap on smaller iPhones ensures every intersection meets Apple's 44pt minimum tap target, even on 19×19 Free to play, with gameplay that is always ad-free. A brief ad appears on launch and just before scoring mode, so your time on the board is never interrupted. Remove all ads with an optional yearly subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://goban3d.com/en-US/privacy.html

Screenshots

Go Game Connect4 screens
Goban3D3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Go Game Connect at none against Goban3D's shown. Go Game Connect also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). Goban3D's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 45 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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. Go Game Connect sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Goban3D sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $7.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Go Game Connect against 5.0 for Goban3D. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Go Game Connect ships an update every 45 months, Goban3D every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Go Game Connect versus Goban3D: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGo Game ConnectGoban3D
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 45 monthsEvery 11 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB247 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeter KramerAdam Gibbons

Customer experience

Go Game Connect

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Goban3D

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Go Game Connect

One-time2
  • package of 3,000 Go stones$0.99
  • package of 10,000 Go stones$1.99
1 purchases

Goban3D

Subscriptions1
  • Remove Ads (Yearly)$7.991 Year

Questions

Is Go Game Connect free?
Go Game Connect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Goban3D free?
Goban3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Go Game Connect or Goban3D?
Go Game Connect and Goban3D are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Go Game Connect or Goban3D have ads?
Goban3D shows ads; Go Game Connect does not.
Which is updated more often, Go Game Connect or Goban3D?
Go Game Connect ships an update every 45 months, and Goban3D every 11 days. Most recently, Go Game Connect was updated on November 2, 2026 and Goban3D on November 4, 2026.

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