# Squares vs Dots & Boxes

The clearest difference is rating: Squares at 4.6 against Dots & Boxes's 2.0. Squares also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dots & Boxes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Squares asks for nothing beyond the download.

Squares holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 7 respectively.

Squares ships an update every 5 months, Dots & Boxes every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Squares | Dots & Boxes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/squares/id287064290/reviews)** | [2.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-and-boxes-classic/id1503888992/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chris Haynes](https://appshunter.io/developer/286363962) | [Abhishek Aryan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1365121366) |

## What reviewers say

### Squares

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/squares/id287064290)

A strategy game inspired by classics like Othello and Reversi. Players take turns copying or moving squares to capture opponent's pieces, aiming to block all possible moves. Enjoy a variety of boards and play modes.

**Highlights:** 125 unique boards, 5 board sizes, 1 and 2-player modes, Play against device or friend, Random board generation, Resume previous games

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to learn gameplay
- 🎮 Highly addictive and engaging
- 💰 Completely free with no ads
- 📱 Works offline without data connection
- 🎨 Clean, simple graphics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤖 AI is too easy to beat
- ⚖️ Unfair win condition based on last move
- 🔊 Volume control not adjustable
- 🎵 Music interrupts phone's background music
- 🎯 Some levels are unbalanced or unfair

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes when AI has one move left
- Game freezes during gameplay
- Crashes on app launch in certain versions
- One-player mode exits to home screen
- Incorrect win/loss determination

**Requested features**

- Difficulty levels or harder AI
- Online multiplayer mode
- Custom level/board creation
- More board layouts
- Achievements or tournament mode


### Dots & Boxes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dots-and-boxes-classic/id1503888992)

This is a classic two-player strategy game where players take turns drawing lines to complete squares. The player with the most completed squares at the end wins. It offers single-player against AI or local multiplayer against a friend.

**Highlights:** Draw lines between adjacent dots, Complete squares to earn points, Single-player vs AI, Local multiplayer mode, Classic strategy gameplay

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Squares free?

Squares is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Dots & Boxes free?

Dots & Boxes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Squares or Dots & Boxes?

Squares is rated higher. Squares averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Dots & Boxes averages 2.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Squares or Dots & Boxes have ads?

Dots & Boxes shows ads; Squares does not.

### Which is updated more often, Squares or Dots & Boxes?

Squares ships an update every 5 months, and Dots & Boxes every 6 months. Most recently, Squares was updated on October 17, 2026 and Dots & Boxes on October 3, 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.*