# True Backgammon vs BG Buddy

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BG Buddy at 100% against True Backgammon's 48%. BG Buddy also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.3). True Backgammon's advantage is ratings volume (2.6K vs 5) and chart position (#27 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

BG Buddy is free to download; True Backgammon costs $3.99 up front. True Backgammon sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and BG Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BG Buddy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: True Backgammon has 2.6K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of True Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 100% of BG Buddy's.

True Backgammon ships an update fortnightly, BG Buddy monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | True Backgammon | BG Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-backgammon/id364593496/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bg-buddy/id972446985/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.6K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 48.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#27** | — |
| Size | 69 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CompuLab, Markus Gömmel](https://appshunter.io/developer/295302259) | [James Knipe](https://appshunter.io/developer/972446984) |

## What reviewers say

### True Backgammon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/true-backgammon/id364593496)

**Currently charting:** #27 Top Paid · Casino, #133 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Engage in classic backgammon against challenging computer opponents or human players online. Customize your game with various board designs and difficulty levels. Connect with friends for local or online matches.

**Highlights:** Play against computer or humans, Three difficulty levels, Modern and ornate board designs, In-app purchase for world-class AI, Local and online multiplayer, Voice chat with opponents, Optimized for iOS

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Playboard Orient 3 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Playboard Neon 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Playboard Neon 3 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Playboard Orient 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Playboard Orient 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Playboard Leather | $0.99 | one-time |
| Playboard Neon 2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Neon Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| Orient Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| BGBlitz Tutor | $1.99 | one-time |
| BGBlitz Gameplay Engine | $3.99 | one-time |
| BGBlitz Package | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 📊 Helpful tutor and analysis features
- 🎨 Attractive and intuitive interface
- 🕹️ Realistic backgammon experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Dice rolls perceived as biased towards the computer
- 🤖 Computer opponent seen as too lucky or advantaged
- 🧠 Difficulty level imbalance (too easy or too hard)
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Dice not registering correctly
- Game freezing or becoming unresponsive
- Issues with the human-computer move synchronization

**Requested features**

- Ability to play against other human players online
- More customization options for the board and pieces
- Detailed player statistics and progress tracking
- Improved doubling cube functionality


### BG Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bg-buddy/id972446985)

This app provides a comprehensive tool for scoring and managing backgammon matches. It features a tournament clock, dice roller, scorecard, and the ability to analyze game statistics and positions. It also includes accessibility features for visually impaired players.

**Highlights:** Tournament style match clock, Match play with Jacoby, Beaver, and settlement options, Win percentage tracking over time, Position photo analysis, Talking dice for visually impaired players, Random dice with cube generator, Automatic tweeting of results

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BG Buddy Full Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is True Backgammon free?

True Backgammon costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is BG Buddy free?

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

### Which has better reviews, True Backgammon or BG Buddy?

BG Buddy is rated higher. True Backgammon averages 4.3 out of 5 from 2.6K ratings, while BG Buddy averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do True Backgammon or BG Buddy have ads?

Neither True Backgammon nor BG Buddy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, True Backgammon or BG Buddy?

True Backgammon ships an update fortnightly, and BG Buddy monthly. Most recently, True Backgammon was updated on October 14, 2026 and BG Buddy on September 25, 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.*