# Backgammon ∙ vs Pinochle Gold

The clearest difference is price: Backgammon ∙ at Free against Pinochle Gold's $5.99. Backgammon ∙ also leads on ratings volume (80K vs 1.5K). Pinochle Gold's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (58% vs 26%). On update cadence, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Backgammon ∙ is free to download; Pinochle Gold costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Pinochle Gold holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon ∙ has 80K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Backgammon ∙'s written reviews are positive against 58% of Pinochle Gold's.

Backgammon ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Pinochle Gold every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Backgammon ∙ | Pinochle Gold |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $5.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (80K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon/id335445524/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinochle-gold/id339141561/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **80K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 26.4% of reviews | **58.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#31** |
| Size | 127 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [fishdog.net](https://appshunter.io/developer/337519299) |

## What reviewers say

### Backgammon ∙

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon/id335445524)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Pinochle Gold

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pinochle-gold/id339141561)

**Currently charting:** #31 Top Paid · Casino, #172 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Experience a premium, ad-free card game with configurable options for single- or double-deck play. Enjoy strategic bidding, melding, and trick-taking against computer opponents. This version offers enhanced tabletops and card backs.

**Highlights:** No ads, tracking, or subscriptions, Single- or double-deck play, Configurable bidding and melding, Play against computer opponents, Enhanced tabletops and card backs, Frequent updates with AI improvements

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Good game play
- 👍 Awesome Game
- 👍 Enjoy the options
- 👍 Great game, would like more rule options
- 👍 Pinochle is a great game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Partner is buzzed
- 🐛 Awful partner
- 🐛 Could use more common sense
- 🐛 Too easy
- 🐛 Not true multiplayer

**Reported bugs**

- After melding, the player still receives a message asking if they want to Concede the Hand when only the obligatory or mandatory 20 points are necessary
- Cannot read what trump is with the voiceover screen reader on iPhone
- Cannot tell the score of the game in progress with the voiceover screen reader on iPhone

**Requested features**

- Allow for game of 1500 instead of 150 with an override adding a 0 on to all applicable settings
- Peer to peer capability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Backgammon ∙ free?

Backgammon ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pinochle Gold free?

Pinochle Gold costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Backgammon ∙ or Pinochle Gold?

Pinochle Gold is rated higher. Backgammon ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 80K ratings, while Pinochle Gold averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Backgammon ∙ or Pinochle Gold have ads?

Backgammon ∙ shows ads; Pinochle Gold does not.

### Which is updated more often, Backgammon ∙ or Pinochle Gold?

Backgammon ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Pinochle Gold every 3 months. Most recently, Backgammon ∙ was updated on November 10, 2026 and Pinochle Gold on November 6, 2026.

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