Chess ∙ vs Backgammon ▽▲
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess ∙
Experience a visually appealing and engaging chess game on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Play against friends or a customizable AI opponent with features like undo and automatic saving. Enjoy a free, ad-supported experience.
- 1 and 2 player gameplay
- Challenging computer opponent
- Great graphics and sound
- Configurable difficulty
- Undo function
- Automatic save
Read full descriptionHide full description
Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPhone? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free is the best chess game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it's free! Chess Free supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you get a phone call or exit the application Chess Free is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising. Chess Premium is the same great app without the ads.
Backgammon ▽▲
Enjoy the classic board game of Backgammon on your mobile device. Play against a computer opponent with adjustable difficulty or challenge a friend. Customize the game's appearance and utilize helpful features for a smooth experience.
- 1 and 2 player gameplay
- Three AI difficulties
- Theme customization
- Move highlighting
- Doubling Cube
- Universal app support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Play the classic game of Backgammon for free! Backgammon Free! supports 1 and 2 player gameplay, so you can play with friends or against a challenging computer opponent. • Three difficulties of AI: easy, medium, and hard. • Simple & Intuitive controls. • Theme customization including board and background colors. • Move highlighting for easy play. • Configurable match points. • Doubling Cube. • Play as White or Black chips. • Hands down the best looking Backgammon on the store. • Universal app tailored for iPad and iPhone. If you've been looking for a great Backgammon game for your iPad or iPhone, you've found it! Please send us your feedback at: contact@maplemedia.io
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against Backgammon ▽▲'s 1. Chess ∙ also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 35%) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On price, ads 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 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.
Chess ∙ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 4.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 35% of Backgammon ▽▲'s.
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Backgammon ▽▲ every 12 months. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Chess ∙ | Backgammon ▽▲ |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (205K ratings) — better | 4.2 (4.4K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews — better | 35.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 205K — better | 4.4K |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #90 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 165 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Optime Software LLC | Do More Mobile, LLC. |
Customer experience
Chess ∙
Backgammon ▽▲
User reviews
Chess ∙
From 205K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun to play everyday
- 👍 Good free game
- 👍 Nice little game
- 👍 Very good practice
- 👍 Addictive
Room to improve
- 🐛 AD crazy
- 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
- 🐛 Force draw
- 🐛 Issues, needs fixing but has potential
- 🐛 Disappearing Pieces
Backgammon ▽▲
From 4.4K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Fun game
- 🧠 Challenging opponent
- 🧑🎓 Good for learning
Room to improve
- 🎲 Unfair dice rolls
- 🤖 Predictable computer moves
- 🐢 Slow gameplay
- 🔍 Confusing UI
- 🧭 Incorrect scoring/rules
Bugs and requests
Chess ∙
Reported bugs
10 issues- Rook being able to move diagonally
- Stalemate glitch where it will preemptively call stalemate before it even happens
- Call stalemate when only the king can't move, and the other pieces can still move
- Pieces move too fast
- Doesn't allow en-passant moves by pawns
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Refuses to allow legitimate win, claims draw instead
- Doesn't recognize stalemate
- Doesn't recognize checkmate
- Pieces disappearing
- Illegal moves by the AI
Requested features
6 requests- Undo from stalemate
- Highland opponents last move in green and my last move in blue
- Allow a third level of zoom to fill the screen
- Display a numeric value when difficulty slider is moved
- Ability to turn off safety where you can't move king to where it would get taken out
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Ability to turn off draw by stalemate rule
Backgammon ▽▲
Reported bugs
3 issues- Game crashes/freezes
- Pieces get stuck or move incorrectly
- Incorrect scoring/doubling
Requested features
4 requests- Undo move option
- Customizable difficulty levels
- Multiplayer mode
- Accurate backgammon rules
In-app purchases
Chess ∙
No in-app purchases
Backgammon ▽▲
- Backgammon Remove Ads$14.99
Questions
Is Chess ∙ free?
Is Backgammon ▽▲ free?
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Backgammon ▽▲?
Do Chess ∙ or Backgammon ▽▲ have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Backgammon ▽▲?
Other comparisons
