Comparison

Backgammon Premium vs Backgammon Masters

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Backgammon Premium

Experience the classic board game with a modern twist. Play against friends or strangers worldwide, test your skills against AI, and track your progress with detailed statistics. Enjoy multiple game variations and visually appealing board designs.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer via Game Center
  • Background match-making
  • Single-player vs AI (Easy, Medium, Hard)
  • Match play with Doubling and Crawford Rule
  • Move-assist and unlimited undo
  • Extensive game statistics
  • Multiple board designs and game variations
Read full description

Play the #1 Backgammon on the App Store! Now with the best online Backgammon experience with background match-making and live games via Game Center. Challenge your friends, play against random opponents, compete for leaderboard glory, and earn achievements. - - - - - - ** Recommended by MacWorld as a Top Download for your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad in their November 2010 issue. ** “Backgammon Premium is the crème-de-la-crème ‘gammon’” 9 out of 10 stars Appaddicts.com! ** Nominated for “best dice game of 2009 in the 2009 Best App Ever Awards hosted by bestappever.com! - - - - - - Backgammon is believed to have started in Persia, eventually finding its way to Britain with the Roman conquest in the 1st century and was played by Emperor Claudius who even had his carriage equipped with a playing board! It became such a gambling mania that it was declared illegal under the Republic. Playing on the history of the game, there are 6 visually pleasing, rich board designs; Egyptian, Roman, Medieval, Victorian, Modern and Classic. We also offer, out of the box, two classic game variations: “Old English” and Nackgammon. “Old English” is the most popular game variation in England. Nackgammon is a more challenging variation designed to add more creativity and skill to the game. With integrated Bluetooth Peer-to-Peer support you can play with your friends over Bluetooth with no network required! You can also play against the computer in either Easy, Medium, or Hard difficulties. Features: - Play live against opponents worldwide with Game Center! - Background match-making: search for opponents while you play! - Single Player Games (with Easy, Medium, Hard or, soon, with our brand-new Expert player) - Match support! Play to 3, 5, 9 or 15 points with Doubling. Matches use the Crawford Rule - Move-Assist, highlights available moves - Unlimited “Undo” in single-player games - Extensive game statistics - Designed for iPhone & iPad

About

Backgammon Masters

Experience the classic board game with modern graphics and multiple variations. Play against AI, friends, or online opponents in tournaments, with customizable profiles and live chat. Enjoy fair dice rolls and track your progress with extensive statistics.

Highlights
  • Multiple backgammon styles (Narde, Tavla, Nackgammon)
  • Online multiplayer and AI opponent modes
  • Daily tournaments
  • Hotseat mode for local play
  • Customizable profiles and global chat
  • Fair and verifiable dice rolls
  • Extensive game statistics
Read full description

Want to learn how to play backgammon wherever you go? You are in luck! Backgammon Masters is an aesthetically pleasing game for online and single player backgammon. Enjoy the ancient board game in crisp, modern graphics on your smartphone or tablet! All board game fans will appreciate the easy to use interface, detailed visuals and many features. There is something for everybody! You can personalise your profile, challenge online players, make bets, gammon opponents, participate in tournaments, chat live, find new friends and learn all the tricks of this ancient and exciting board game! Want to play with friends and family? Easy! Play with your friends in hotseat mode, organise tournaments and improve your skill! Out on a trip and have no internet connection? Just challenge our AI in any backgammon style you wish! One match will take you only 5 to 30 minutes. Backgammon Masters supports many styles of backgammon: » Classic backgammon - the core of the game. » Narde (Nardi) - very popular in Russia. Longer play, since you can't hit opponent's checkers. » Tavla (Tavli or Turkish Backgammon) - popular in Turkey. Very similar to backgammon with some rule differences regarding checker play. » Nackgammon - variation invented by Nack Ballard with 2 differences from the original game. » Old English Backgammon - a style popular in United Kingdom. Despite the game's old age millions of people all around the world still enjoy this fantastic board game and its variations up to this day. Join and become a true Master of Backgammon! Game Features: ● 5 backgammon styles: Backgammon, Narde, Nackgammon, Old English and Tavla ● 3 game modes: Online game, against AI, and Hotseat ● 100% fair and completely random dice rolls ● Option to check dice fairness in the game in your profile and on the server ● 6 beautiful boards: Classic, Metal, 10,000BC, Profi, Casino and White Crocodile! ● 2 difficulty levels in game vs AI ● Daily tournaments in Backgammon, Narde, Tavla and Nackgammon ● Extensive statistics for the last match ● Share your success on Facebook or Twitter! ● Highlighting of available moves ● Find new friends and opponents in global chat! ● Elo score support and skill levels for players. Can you reach the top? ● Free and regular updates! ● Collect daily free bonus coins! ● Multi language support: Russian, German and Turkish translations! ● Cross platform support for devices all over the world! Internet access is required upon first launch of the app in order to download additional resources (size up to 100 Mb). Online play requires an internet connection. Here is what our players are saying about Backgammon Masters: “I had tried many backgammon apps: Backgammon NJ, Backgammon Deluxe, Backgammon Live, Backgammon Ace, Backgammon Gold, but I really think Backgammon Masters is the best and most exciting backgammon app currently available in the market! I play it with my friends and family all the time!" "To put it simply, Backgammon Masters is one gorgeous looking application." -- TheiPhoneAppReview "The game is exactly what a backgammon app should be. It has a great look, detailed instructions, and is faithful to the original game. The number of match-making offerings is impressive and the controls are easy to use." -- 148apps Like us and follow us for the latest news, updates and free offers: » http://www.facebook.com/2KBLLC » http://www.twitter.com/2kbcompany If you enjoy Backgammon Masters, leave us a rating! We listen to our players and work constantly to improve the game and make it better.

Screenshots

Backgammon Premium4 screens
Backgammon Masters4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Backgammon Masters at Free against Backgammon Premium's $2.99. Backgammon Masters also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Backgammon Premium's advantage is review sentiment (78% vs 34%) and rating (4.6 vs 3.8). On ads, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Backgammon Masters is free to download; Backgammon Premium costs $2.99 up front. Backgammon Premium sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Backgammon Masters sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon Premium holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon Premium has 6.6K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Backgammon Premium's written reviews are positive against 34% of Backgammon Masters's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon Premium ships an update every 2 months, Backgammon Masters fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Backgammon Premium versus Backgammon Masters: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon PremiumBackgammon Masters
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (6.6K ratings) — better3.8 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews77.6% of reviews — better33.6% of reviews
Number of ratings6.6K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#28 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13 — better13.5
Further details — not scored
Size129 MB329 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperWildCard Classics Inc2KB LLC

Customer experience

Backgammon Premium

All ratings6,562 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews808 reviews
Positive77.6%
Neutral8.5%
Negative13.9%

Backgammon Masters

All ratings1,061 ratings
Positive67.8%
Neutral4.5%
Negative27.7%
Written reviews432 reviews
Positive33.6%
Neutral8.6%
Negative57.9%

User reviews

Backgammon Premium

From 6.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎮 Fun and challenging game
  • 📱 Great on-the-go game
  • 👍 Well-made and enjoyable
  • 🕹️ Classic game with good implementation
  • 🧠 Helps improve skills

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Computer gets too many favorable dice rolls
  • 🤖 Computer plays too aggressively at higher difficulties
  • 🔍 Pieces don't align properly on newer devices
  • 🔧 Bugs and glitches in recent updates
  • 🤔 Lack of customization and settings

Backgammon Masters

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fair dice rolls
  • 🎨 Excellent graphics and visuals
  • 💬 Good communication options with opponents
  • 🕹️ Smooth gameplay and intuitive controls

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Unfair dice rolls favoring opponents
  • 🤖 Rigged algorithm to force losses
  • 💰 Monetization tactics to force in-app purchases
  • 🛑 Inability to block or avoid certain players

Bugs and requests

Backgammon Premium

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces don't line up with board on iPad Pro
  • Game freezes and crashes on newer iOS versions
  • Opponent can quit mid-game without penalty

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add pass-and-play mode for local multiplayer
  • Improve dice roll randomness and fairness
  • Optimize game for latest devices and OS versions
  • Provide more board and piece customization options
  • Implement an undo/redo feature

Backgammon Masters

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Game crashes or freezes after updates
  • Incorrect move registrations or inability to make legal moves
  • Coins disappearing from user accounts

Requested features

3 requests
  • Resign button to avoid waiting for game to end
  • Option to play against AI without connecting to internet
  • Ability to choose opponents based on skill level or location

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Backgammon Premium

One-time2
  • Christmas Theme$0.99
  • Acey Deucey$1.99
12 purchases

Backgammon Masters

One-time12
  • "No ads package GIFT"Free
  • "No ads package"$1.99
  • Gold coins$1.99
Show 9 more
  • 20 Spins for Wheel of Fortune$1.99
  • Bag of gold$4.99
  • Sack of gold - FIRE SALE!$4.99
  • Sack of gold - SALE!$7.99
  • Sack of gold$9.99
  • Chest of gold - SALE!$9.99
  • Chest of gold$19.99
  • Pile of gold - FIRE SALE!$24.99
  • Pile of gold$49.99

Questions

Is Backgammon Premium free?
Backgammon Premium costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Backgammon Masters free?
Backgammon Masters is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Premium or Backgammon Masters?
Backgammon Premium is rated higher. Backgammon Premium averages 4.6 out of 5 from 6.6K ratings, while Backgammon Masters averages 3.8 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Backgammon Premium or Backgammon Masters have ads?
Both Backgammon Premium and Backgammon Masters show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Premium or Backgammon Masters?
Backgammon Premium ships an update every 2 months, and Backgammon Masters fortnightly. Most recently, Backgammon Premium was updated on September 24, 2026 and Backgammon Masters on September 24, 2026.

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