# Backgammon vs Hardwood Backgammon

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Backgammon at 15K against Hardwood Backgammon's 166. Hardwood Backgammon's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backgammon sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Backgammon against 4.3 for Hardwood Backgammon. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon has 15K ratings behind it against 166, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's.

Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, Hardwood Backgammon every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backgammon | Hardwood Backgammon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon-classic-dice-game/id299466486/reviews)** | [4.3 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-backgammon/id897715914/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 166 |
| Positive reviews | **65.4% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 123 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [WildCard Classics Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/284954485) | [Silver Creek Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/493710735) |

## What reviewers say

### Backgammon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon-classic-dice-game/id299466486)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Christmas Theme | $0.99 | one-time |
| Acey Deucey | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Refresher
- 👍 Bugs worked out
- 👍 Love this game!
- 👍 Fun
- 👍 Great way to pass time

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Ads in middle of game
- 🔍 Ads doubled in one month
- 🔍 Too many ads interrupt the game
- 🔍 Ads During Play
- 🔍 Ads every three moves

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Allow offline playing
- Turn based option
- Ability to review board before doubling
- Ability to undo moves


### Hardwood Backgammon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-backgammon/id897715914)

Experience the classic board game with this digital adaptation. Play against a strong AI, challenge friends locally, or compete with players worldwide. Features include full match play, a doubling cube, and engaging achievements.

**Highlights:** Single player vs AI, Online multiplayer, 2 player local mode, Full match play, Doubling cube, Achievements

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Plus Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Plus Membership | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| 3 Month Plus Membership | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| Plus Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| 12 Month Plus Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| Pack of 80 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 165 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 425 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1 Month Plus Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 865 Tokens | $9.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $14.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $19.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 1800 Tokens | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 High-quality graphics and visual design
- 🎵 Relaxing sound effects and audio
- 👍 Clean, intuitive interface
- 🎮 Multiple game modes (single and multiplayer)
- ⚡ Minimal ads and non-intrusive monetization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Perceived unfair/rigged dice rolls favoring AI
- 😤 Computer gets excessive doubles and perfect rolls
- 🔒 Paywall features and token-based progression
- 📱 Game board too small on large screens
- 🐢 Game performance issues and slowness

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to load on some devices
- Apple TV version blocks legal moves
- Controls unresponsive on Apple TV
- Unclear how to enable local multiplayer between devices
- Game becomes unresponsive during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Acey-Deucey game variant
- Larger, scalable game board for tablets
- Better difficulty settings based on strategy, not just dice manipulation
- More multiplayer players available
- Customizable game rules and settings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backgammon free?

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

### Is Hardwood Backgammon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon?

Backgammon is rated higher. Backgammon averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 from 166 ratings.

### Do Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon have ads?

Both Backgammon and Hardwood Backgammon show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backgammon or Hardwood Backgammon?

Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, and Hardwood Backgammon every 2 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on September 25, 2026 and Hardwood Backgammon on September 19, 2026.

---

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