Comparison

SmartGo One vs the number bubble

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

Head to head
About

SmartGo One

Learn, play, and improve at the ancient game of Go. This app offers adjustable board sizes, a strong AI opponent, and tools to study professional games and solve Go problems. It's designed for players of all skill levels, from beginners to masters.

Highlights
  • Adjustable board sizes (9x9 to 19x19)
  • Strong KataGo game engine
  • Study professional game records
  • Solve Go problems and tutorials
  • Pattern matching for move suggestions
  • Territory estimator
  • Game recording and annotation
Features
Read full description

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/

About

the number bubble

A fun and interactive way to keep score for games with friends. Players get colorful bubbles that grow with their score, offering solo or multiplayer modes. Scores are visible on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island.

Highlights
  • Interactive score bubbles
  • Solo or multiplayer modes
  • Lock Screen and Dynamic Island integration
  • Quick room setup via code/link/QR
  • Customizable background colors
  • No ads or tracking
Features
Read full description

number bubble is the playful way to keep score for game night. Every player gets a colorful bubble that floats, bounces, and grows as their score climbs. Tap to add points, or fling a bubble just for fun. • Solo or together: keep score on one device and pass it around, or start a room and everyone joins from their own phone. • Play nearby, no internet: on a plane or off the grid? Host a game and friends nearby join over the local network. No Wi-Fi or signal required. • Start in seconds: share a code, a link, or a QR. No accounts, no sign-up. • Send points: move points from player to player, banker-style. • Always in view: your score lives on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island while you play. • Make it yours: choose the background colors for your game. Great for card games, board games, darts, trivia, sports, or any time you need to keep score with friends. No ads. No tracking. Just bubbles.

Screenshots

SmartGo One4 screens
the number bubble4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: the number bubble at none against SmartGo One's 47. the number bubble also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). SmartGo One's advantage is ratings volume (2K vs 3) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 weeks). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. SmartGo One sells 47 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. the number bubble asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

the number bubble holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartGo One has 2K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SmartGo One ships an update every 10 days, the number bubble every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SmartGo One versus the number bubble: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmartGo Onethe number bubble
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings2K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size154 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSmart Go, Inc.Nuri Bruner

Customer experience

SmartGo One

All ratings1,955 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.1%
Written reviews167 reviews
Positive76.6%
Neutral8.4%
Negative15.0%

the number bubble

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

the number bubble

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

47 purchases

SmartGo One

Subscriptions2
  • SmartGo One Pro – Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Pro Games and Features14 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time45
  • Just Enough Japanese 1Free
  • Key Concepts in Life and Death$2.99
  • Go Problems Master Collection$3.99
Show 42 more
  • 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
None

the number bubble

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SmartGo One free?
SmartGo One is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is the number bubble free?
the number bubble is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SmartGo One or the number bubble?
the number bubble is rated higher. SmartGo One averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while the number bubble averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do SmartGo One or the number bubble have ads?
Neither SmartGo One nor the number bubble shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SmartGo One or the number bubble?
SmartGo One ships an update every 10 days, and the number bubble every 4 weeks. Most recently, SmartGo One was updated on October 19, 2026 and the number bubble on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons