Backgammon vs FriendGammon
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Backgammon
Experience the classic board and dice game with multiple variations and play modes. Challenge yourself against AI or friends online, with helpful features like move assist and unlimited undos.
- Multiple game variations (Nackgammon, Old English, Acey Deucey)
- Single player with adjustable AI difficulty
- Online and Bluetooth multiplayer
- Match play with Doubling and Crawford Rule
- Move-Assist feature
- Unlimited Undo in single-player
- Extensive game statistics
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Challenge yourself in the deluxe board & dice game! Both the press and customers agree: Backgammon's got it in spades! __________________________________________ PRESS LOVE: Recommended by MacWorld Magazine as a Top Download for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. “Backgammon Premium is the crème-de-la-crème ‘gammon’” 9 out of 10 stars from Appaddicts.com! Nominated for “Best Dice Game” in the Best App Ever Awards hosted by bestappever.com! __________________________________________ CUSTOMER LOVE: "Elegant and beautifully laid out. The play is terrific. I play a game every break I get. The fun just doesn't stop!" "This app is awesome!!! No problems and extremely fun." "Backgammon is a great game, simple and intriguing. This app does it justice. The AI is smart and sometimes infuriating. Five Stars!" __________________________________________ Play solo or live online against friends! Great for players who enjoy Gin Rummy, Spades, Cribbage, Blackjack, or Dominos. GREAT GAME VARIATIONS: Backgammon - The classic game you know and love Nackgammon - Changing the token setup requires players to get creative. Old English - A British favorite! No more than 5 checkers to a single point. Acey Deucey - Start in your own goal tray and work your way into your opponent's! WAYS TO PLAY: Single Player- Prove you're the King against Backgammon's Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulties! Online Multiplayer- Match against friends or strangers to prove your mastery! Peer to Peer- Play against your friends on their devices with no network required. __________________________________________ FEATURES: - Single Player Games (with Easy, Medium, Hard) - Match support! Play to 3, 5, 9 or 15 points with Doubling. Matches use the Crawford Rule - Four distinct board designs - Online and Bluetooth multiplayer - Move-Assist, highlights available moves - Unlimited “Undo” in single-player games - Extensive game statistics
FriendGammon
Play turn-based backgammon with friends or practice against an expert AI. Track scores, chat during games, and climb the ranks in competitive leagues. Customize your game with unique board designs.
- Play friends via contacts or username
- Turn-based gameplay
- In-game chat
- Play against expert AI
- Game review and move analysis
- Elo rating system and leagues
- Customizable board designs
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FriendGammon is a beautifully designed app made for playing backgammon with your friends. PLAY YOUR FRIENDS • Start a game with anyone in your contacts, or find them by username • Play at your own pace: games are turn-based, so you move whenever suits you • Keep a running score with every friend, and see who's ahead at a glance • Chat during games, with your conversation carried over from game to game • Full rules, with the doubling cube, gammons and backgammons PLAY THE COMPUTER • Practise any time against the computer, which always plays at expert level, doubling cube included • After every game, see your PR: a score of how well you played • Game review: see your costliest mistakes on the board, with arrows comparing your move to the best move • Games against the computer never affect your Elo CLIMB THE RANKS • Every game against a friend counts toward your Elo rating • Compete in the Beginner, Intermediate and Pro leagues and on the leaderboard MAKE IT YOURS • Choose from hand-designed boards • Undo a move before you end your turn, and replay your opponent's last turn Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ [:mav: 22.4.49]
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Backgammon at 4.4 against FriendGammon's 3.8. Backgammon also leads on ratings volume (15K vs 70) and review sentiment (65% vs 53%). FriendGammon's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Backgammon sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and FriendGammon sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon has 15K ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 53% of FriendGammon's.
Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, FriendGammon every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Backgammon | FriendGammon |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (15K ratings) — better | 3.8 (70 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 65.2% of reviews — better | 52.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 15K — better | 70 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 123 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | WildCard Classics Inc | Kiss My Art LLC |
Customer experience
Backgammon
FriendGammon
Bugs and requests
Backgammon
Reported bugs
5 issues- Pieces no longer hand on the bars on iPads or iPad minis
- Doesn't work anymore with the last update of the iPhone
- Game freezes after ads
- Crashes every time I try to open it
- Pieces become minuscule after ads
Requested features
4 requests- Allow offline playing
- Turn based option
- Ability to review board before doubling
- Ability to undo moves
FriendGammon
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Backgammon
- Christmas Theme$0.99
- Acey Deucey$1.99
FriendGammon
- Premium subscription (monthly)$4.991 Month
- Premium subscription (yearly)$50.001 Year
- Costa-Rica$4.99
- NYC$4.99
- Los Angeles$4.99
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- $5 One Time Donation$4.99
- $10 One Time Donation$9.99
- $20 One Time Donation$19.99
- $50 One Time Donation$49.99
- $100 One Time Donation$99.99
Questions
Is Backgammon free?
Is FriendGammon free?
Which has better reviews, Backgammon or FriendGammon?
Do Backgammon or FriendGammon have ads?
Which is updated more often, Backgammon or FriendGammon?
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