Comparison

Backgammon ∙ vs Backgammon Now

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon ∙

Enjoy the classic board game of Backgammon on your mobile device. Play against friends or a computer opponent with adjustable difficulty. Features include move highlighting, match play, and automatic saving.

Highlights
  • 1 and 2 player modes
  • Challenging AI with 3 difficulty levels
  • Highlighting of possible moves
  • Match play to configurable points
  • Undo function
  • Automatic save
Features
Read full description

Play the classic game of Backgammon on your iPhone or iPod Touch for free! Backgammon Free is the best free Backgammon app available for iOS. Backgammon Free supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Backgammon Free includes a host of exciting features, including: • Outstanding AI with three difficulty levels • Highlighting of possible moves • One touch or double touch move entry • Match play to a configurable number of points • Undo function • Configurable player names and score tracking • Automatic save when you exit or suspend the app • Great graphics and awesome sound effects If you've been looking for a great Backgammon app for your iPhone or iPod Touch, look no further. Download Backgammon Free today!

About

Backgammon Now

Experience a fun and relaxing way to play Backgammon. Challenge a computer opponent, track your progress with game stats, and enjoy customizable themes. Learn the game easily with built-in instructions and realistic dice physics.

Highlights
  • Computer opponent
  • Game stats tracking
  • Customizable board themes
  • Adjustable difficulty
  • Touch-to-move or drag-to-move
  • Random physics-based dice
  • Easy 'How to Play' guide
Features
Read full description

Experience a quick and awesome new way to play and learn Backgammon! We’ve added a great computer opponent to play against (and beat!) as well as Game Stats to help you keep track of your wins and let you see your performance improve! Enjoy the fun and laid-back challenge of Backgammon and discover the joy of this entertaining and relaxing game like never before! • Awesome board theme's to choose from • Choose your difficulty & improve your game! • Touch-to-move or drag-to-move, you choose! • Track your game stats & see your performance! • Truly random physics based dice throwing! • Get playing quick, with easy "How to Play" • A super smooth, fun and relaxing game! • Looks amazing, plays even better! For note, Backgammon Now's dice rolling algorithm. We use the Mersenne Twister algorithm to generate a lot of random values which we use to throw the dice with (a dice roll is based on many values), so it's only when the dice have rolled and landed that the game knows the outcome. It's as close to a real dice throw as possible! Backgammon Now (v1.6) a perfect entry into the world of Backgammon. _______________________________________________ Backgammon Now Premium monthly subscription also available, $1.49/£1.49/€1.49 monthly. New board themes, adds extended player stats (up to 14 days), adds custom dice, removes adverts from game and more. Subscription payments will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription will automatically renew each month unless you cancel it 24-hours prior to the end of the current term. You can manage your subscription settings and turn off auto-renew at any time from your iTunes Account settings. More Discover more amazing Cobra Mobile games at www.cobramobile.com Support Having problems? Visit www.cobramobile.com/support to see if we can help License Agreement www.cobramobile.com/eula/

Screenshots

Backgammon ∙4 screens
Backgammon Now4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backgammon ∙ at none against Backgammon Now's 3. Backgammon ∙ also leads on ratings volume (78K vs 346). Backgammon Now's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Backgammon Now sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Backgammon ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Backgammon ∙ against 4.4 for Backgammon Now. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon ∙ has 78K ratings behind it against 346, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 26% of Backgammon ∙'s written reviews are positive against 31% of Backgammon Now's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Backgammon Now every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Backgammon ∙ versus Backgammon Now: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon ∙Backgammon Now
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (78K ratings) — better4.4 (346 ratings)
Positive reviews26.4% of reviews31.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings78K — better346
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size127 MB144 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCCobra Mobile Limited

Customer experience

Backgammon ∙

All ratings78,239 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.1%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews1,058 reviews
Positive26.4%
Neutral14.0%
Negative59.6%

Backgammon Now

All ratings346 ratings
Positive83.2%
Neutral7.5%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews70 reviews
Positive31.4%
Neutral17.1%
Negative51.4%

User reviews

Backgammon ∙

From 78K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Good visuals and interface
  • 🕰 Great for passing time

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Unfair dice rolls favoring the computer
  • 🤖 Computer AI cheats on higher difficulty levels
  • 💢 Frustrating when computer gets perfect rolls
  • 🔍 Lack of randomness in dice rolls

Backgammon Now

From 346 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly interface and easy navigation
  • 🎨 Visually appealing graphics and presentation
  • 🔊 Good sound effects and audio design
  • 📊 Tracks win/loss statistics and match history
  • 🎮 Suitable for beginners learning backgammon

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Dice rolls appear biased toward AI opponent
  • 🤖 AI makes illogical moves and poor strategy
  • 📺 Excessive ads disrupt gameplay experience
  • ⚙️ Inconsistent game rules and mechanics
  • 🐢 Game moves slowly with required confirmations

Bugs and requests

Backgammon ∙

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Game resets in the middle of a match
  • Ads cover the screen and are difficult to close

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add option to see game statistics and win/loss record
  • Improve randomness of dice rolls
  • Adjust AI difficulty to be more challenging but fair

Backgammon Now

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Game freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • App locks and prevents access to home screen
  • Stuck on ad screen with no way to close
  • Cannot connect to real players
  • Unauthorized clipboard pasting on app switch
Show 5 more
  • Incorrect piece placement and board setup
  • Cannot execute standard opening moves
  • AI takes pieces off board before collecting them all
  • Glitch allowing 16 counters in play
  • Inconsistent counter counting on takeoff board

Requested features

10 requests
  • Auto-finish option when both sides are clear
  • Ability to initiate doubling cube independently
  • Hot seat/pass-and-play multiplayer mode
  • Game save functionality for longer durations
  • Adjustable difficulty settings
Show 5 more
  • Undo button for move corrections
  • Larger board display for better visibility
  • Replay feature for past matches
  • Turn-based gameplay mode
  • Faster game progression without confirmations

In-app purchases

None

Backgammon ∙

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Backgammon Now

Subscriptions1
  • BACKGAMMON NOW PREMIUM 1 MONTH$1.491 Month
One-time2
  • UNLOCK BOARDS of the WORLD$0.99
  • REMOVE ALL ADVERTS$1.99

Questions

Is Backgammon ∙ free?
Backgammon ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Backgammon Now free?
Backgammon Now is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon ∙ or Backgammon Now?
Backgammon ∙ is rated higher. Backgammon ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 78K ratings, while Backgammon Now averages 4.4 from 346 ratings.
Do Backgammon ∙ or Backgammon Now have ads?
Both Backgammon ∙ and Backgammon Now show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon ∙ or Backgammon Now?
Backgammon ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Backgammon Now every 3 months. Most recently, Backgammon ∙ was updated on September 29, 2026 and Backgammon Now on September 26, 2026.

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