# Hnefatafl vs Master Backgammon

The clearest difference is price: Hnefatafl at Free against Master Backgammon's $2.99. Hnefatafl also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (30 vs 1). Master Backgammon's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). On device support there is nothing between them.

Hnefatafl is free to download; Master Backgammon costs $2.99 up front. Hnefatafl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Master Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Master Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hnefatafl has 30 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Hnefatafl's written reviews are positive against 100% of Master Backgammon's.

Hnefatafl ships an update every 2 weeks, Master Backgammon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hnefatafl | Master Backgammon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnefatafl/id1498725934/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/master-backgammon/id1539246850/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **30** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 68.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 224 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Philippe Schober](https://appshunter.io/developer/1394832107) | [Ken Fox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352566796) |

## What reviewers say

### Hnefatafl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hnefatafl/id1498725934)

Experience an ancient Scandinavian strategy board game where one army tries to capture the king while the other defends him. Offers deep tactical gameplay with numerous historical and custom variants. Play against AI, friends offline, or other players online with cross-platform support.

**Highlights:** Numerous historical and custom variants, Offline play against AI or human opponents, Online multiplayer with cross-platform support, Ingame chat for online play, Match browser and history, Achievements and ELO scores

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |


### Master Backgammon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/master-backgammon/id1539246850)

Master Backgammon offers a classic board game experience with multiple game modes, including single games without the doubling cube and longer matches that utilize it. Track your progress with a built-in history log of game results.

**Highlights:** Single games (no doubling cube), 5-game matches (with doubling cube), 9-game matches (with doubling cube), History log of game results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hnefatafl free?

Hnefatafl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Master Backgammon free?

Master Backgammon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hnefatafl or Master Backgammon?

Master Backgammon is rated higher. Hnefatafl averages 4.0 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while Master Backgammon averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hnefatafl or Master Backgammon have ads?

Hnefatafl shows ads; Master Backgammon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hnefatafl or Master Backgammon?

Hnefatafl ships an update every 2 weeks, and Master Backgammon every 2 months. Most recently, Hnefatafl was updated on September 29, 2026 and Master Backgammon on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*