# Backgammon vs The Spades

Backgammon and The Spades both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 45% of The Spades's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Backgammon sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and The Spades sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

The Spades holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15K and 8.2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 45% of The Spades's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, The Spades every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backgammon | The Spades |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon-classic-dice-game/id299466486/reviews) | **[4.6 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spades/id929909607/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 8.2K |
| Positive reviews | **65.4% of reviews** | 45.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 123 MB | 116 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [WildCard Classics Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/284954485) | [UNBALANCE Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/358617691) |

## 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


### The Spades

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-spades/id929909607)

Experience the classic 4-player contract trick-taking card game on iOS. Enjoy smooth gameplay, scalable difficulty, and track your performance against 18 AI opponents. Customize your partnerships and challenge yourself to beat them all.

**Highlights:** Full Spades partnership play, 18 CPU characters with varying skill, Choose partners and opponents, Undo play and hint facility, Save player statistics, Customizable graphics and sound

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ad | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Enjoyable game
- 👍 Good entertainment
- 🕹️ Relaxing gameplay
- 🧠 Improves gameplay skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Too many ads
- 🤖 Biased AI partners
- 🤔 Inconsistent partner behavior
- 🧠 Questionable AI decision-making

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes and crashes
- Scoring issues and discrepancies
- Undo feature locked behind ads

**Requested features**

- Option to customize game rules
- Ability to lead with spades
- More balanced AI partners
- Add-free version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backgammon free?

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

### Is The Spades free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Backgammon or The Spades?

The Spades is rated higher. Backgammon averages 4.4 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while The Spades averages 4.6 from 8.2K ratings.

### Do Backgammon or The Spades have ads?

Both Backgammon and The Spades show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Backgammon or The Spades?

Backgammon ships an update every 5 months, and The Spades every 4 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on September 25, 2026 and The Spades on September 22, 2026.

---

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