SmartGo One vs Hobo Chess Classic
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmartGo One
Learn, play, and study the ancient game of Go with this comprehensive app. It offers adjustable board sizes, a powerful AI engine, interactive books, and a vast database of professional games to help you improve your skills.
- Multiple board sizes (9x9 to 19x19)
- Powerful KataGo AI engine
- Interactive Go books
- 138,000+ professional game records
- Go problems and tutorials
- Pattern matching for game analysis
- Record, annotate, and edit games
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SmartGo One is the only Go app you’ll need, whether you’re just getting started or already a seasoned player. Learn, play, study, and improve with SmartGo One. Experience the ancient game of Go on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac in a whole new way. Also known as igo (囲碁), wéiqí (围棋), or baduk (바둑), Go begins with an empty board that gradually fills as players surround territory and capture stones. Start with a 9x9 board and move up to 13x13 and 19x19 as your skills grow. SmartGo One adapts to your strength, automatically adjusting handicaps so games remain competitive and enjoyable. And when you’re ready for a serious challenge, the powerful KataGo-based engine delivers strong, rewarding play. But SmartGo One is far more than a way to play Go. Read interactive Go books while replaying the moves they describe to deepen your understanding. Explore a collection of more than 138,000 professional game records spanning both modern and historical masters. Improve your reading and decision-making skills with a growing library of Go problems and tutorials. Want to know how a master would handle a position on your board? SmartGo’s pattern matching technology compares your game with historical pro games and shows how strong players approached similar situations. No matter your level, SmartGo One helps you continue improving. Features include: • 9x9, 11x11, 13x13, and 19x19 board sizes • Powerful KataGo-based engine • Fast and responsive gameplay • Manual or automatic handicap adjustment • Record, annotate, and edit your games • Territory estimator • Hints and move analysis • Undo and replay controls • Tutorial with over 100 problems • Extensive user manual We value your privacy and only collect the minimum information necessary to make our apps work well for you. Learn more at https://smartgo.com/privacy.html. This app is licensed under Apple’s standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Hobo Chess Classic
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Some games travel light. Hobo Chess Classic is one of them. There are no boards to set up, no pieces to lose behind the couch, and no rules that take longer to explain than the game itself. All you need is a grid, a bit of strategy, and the simple challenge of placing five in a row before your opponent does. Gomoku has been played for centuries, scratched into dirt, drawn in chalk on pavement, or sketched on whatever surface was nearby. We did not try to change it. We simply gave it a home that feels hand drawn and thoughtfully crafted, like something carried around for years and ready whenever you are. Choose your opponent from a group of five single player opponents, each with a distinct personality and style. Boink keeps things relaxed and friendly. Nexus is far less forgiving. Between them, Rusty, Bolt, and Spike offer a steady climb in challenge. You can play a quick match in a few minutes or settle in for something longer. The board is always ready. If you prefer playing with someone nearby, local multiplayer connects two devices over Wi Fi or Bluetooth. There are no accounts, no internet requirement, and no waiting. Just sit down and start playing. When the match is over, the game history keeps track of every result, every move count, and every win. Hobo Chess Classic feels right at home on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Each layout is designed for the screen it lives on, not stretched to fit. You can choose from twelve board themes, twelve piece colors, and a range of avatars. An undo countdown gives you a brief moment to rethink a move when you need it. The details are there if you care about them, and out of the way if you do not. Some games try to do everything. This one focuses on doing one thing well.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartGo One at every 8 days against Hobo Chess Classic's every 4 months. On price, ads, 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. SmartGo One sells 47 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Hobo Chess Classic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
SmartGo One ships an update every 8 days, Hobo Chess Classic every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmartGo One | Hobo Chess Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (2K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 157 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Smart Go, Inc. | SwiftVisions LLC |
Bugs and requests
SmartGo One
Reported bugs
3 issues- Illegal move detection issues on certain board positions
- Problems with missing variations or incorrect answers
- Inconsistent behavior when passing moves
Requested features
5 requests- Add read-only mode
- Improve move suggestion explanations
- Introduce difficulty settings for AI
- Integrate online play functionality
- Provide more randomness in AI moves
Hobo Chess Classic
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SmartGo One
- SmartGo One Pro – Monthly$4.991 Month
- Pro Games and Features14 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Just Enough Japanese 1Free
- Key Concepts in Life and Death$2.99
- Go Problems Master Collection$3.99
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- Go Problems Add-on 2: Medium$3.99
- Go Problems Add-on 1: Easy$3.99
- Go Problems Add-on 3: Hard$3.99
- Counting Liberties$4.99
- The Monkey Jump$4.99
- Double Digit Kyu Games$5.99
- Go: A Complete Introduction$5.99
- How Not to Play Go$5.99
- Encyclopedia of Go Principles$5.99
- Want to Play Go? Level 1$5.99
- Black to Play 30-25 Kyu$5.99
- The Workshop Lectures 1$5.99
- Rethinking Opening Strategy$6.99
- Learn to Play Go 1$7.99
- Learn to Play Go 2$7.99
- Learn to Play Go 3$7.99
- Correct Joseki$7.99
- “The Theory of Go”$7.99
- Learn to Play Go 4$7.99
- Buddhist Philosophy Game of Go$8.99
- Graded Go Problems 1$9.99
- Graded Go Problems 2$9.99
- Want to Play Go? Level 2$9.99
- Basic Techniques of Go$9.99
- Graded Go Problems 3$9.99
- Get Strong at Life and Death$9.99
- Mastering Mini Go by Mark Tomlinson$11.99
- Fuseki Revolution$11.99
- Fundamental Principles of Go$11.99
- The Basics of Life and Death$11.99
- Joseki Revolution$11.99
- Life and Death$11.99
- A Survey of the Basic Tesujis$11.99
- Tesuji$11.99
- Tesuji for Beginners$14.99
- AlphaGo to Zero, vol. 4$14.99
- Trouble Master, volume 2$14.99
- Trouble Master, volume 1$14.99
- AlphaGo to Zero, Vol. 2$14.99
- Invincible$24.99
- Essential Go Proverbs$24.99
- Pro – Lifetime Unlock$99.00
Hobo Chess Classic
- Hobo Chess Roamer$3.99
Questions
Is SmartGo One free?
Is Hobo Chess Classic free?
Do SmartGo One or Hobo Chess Classic have ads?
Which is updated more often, SmartGo One or Hobo Chess Classic?
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