Comparison

Backgammon Gold vs Backgammon

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon Gold

Experience the classic board game of strategy and luck on your mobile device. Play against friends locally or test your skills against a strong AI opponent. Learn the game with a helpful tutor and track your progress with detailed statistics.

Highlights
  • Play against AI or friends
  • AI with 4 difficulty levels
  • Learning tutor for beginners
  • Single game or tournament modes
  • Extended statistics and Elo rating
  • Multiple board designs
Features
Read full description

Play Backgammon Gold – also called Tavla – anytime and anywhere for free on your smartphone or tablet. Play with your friends or against one of the strongest computer opponents. Now you can play one of the oldest board games in the world even if you are outside. A mix of strategy and luck is waiting for you. Challenge your friends to a classic Backgammon game in local two-player mode or play against the strongest computer opponent from BGBlitz. It is also suitable for beginners – the tutor shows you the best moves. What are you waiting for? Get into the backgammon world! The app includes the following features: * Elo Rating (FIBS) * Computer opponent with 4 grades of difficulty * Single game or tournament (1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 15 oder endless games) * 6 different game board designs * Use the tutor from BGBlitz to learn the 'perfect move' * For experts: the internationally rewarded Backgammon computer software BGBlitz * Extended statistics with Elo graph, game history with the result of the last games Have fun with Backgammon Gold!

About

Backgammon

Engage in classic backgammon with AI or live multiplayer opponents. This app offers a comprehensive experience with features like a doubling cube, rule tutorials, and detailed player statistics. Play offline or online to hone your strategic skills and climb the leaderboards.

Highlights
  • Online and offline play
  • Challenge AI or real players
  • Master the doubling cube
  • Learn and improve with hints
  • Track detailed player statistics
  • Play anywhere, portrait/landscape
Features
Read full description

Challenge adaptive AI, share the board with a friend in local pass-and-play, and master the doubling cube — all free, with dice you can actually trust. The most complete backgammon experience for iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision: sharpen your strategy with hints, track deep stats, and climb the leaderboards. * SMART, ADAPTIVE AI Beginner, Intermediate & Expert levels tuned to your playstyle — never a rigged board, just a smarter opponent. * PASS & PLAY Share one device and play a real match against a friend, head-to-head, no connection required. * LEARN & IMPROVE Move hints, legal-move highlights, and a full rules tutorial — go from your first roll to your first double with confidence. * REAL MATCH PLAY 1-point, 3-point & full matches, doubling cube, and the Crawford rule — tournament-standard play, not a simplified clone. * STATS THAT MATTER Elo-style rating, win/loss graphs, pip counts, and complete dice history, so you can see exactly how fair your rolls really are. * PLAY ANYWHERE Portrait or landscape, online or fully offline vs. AI. "The best free backgammon app—AI is tough, local play is smooth." – App Store review Also known as Tavla, Nardi, or Narde — this is backgammon the way it's meant to be played.

Screenshots

Backgammon Gold4 screens
Backgammon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Backgammon at 4.4 against Backgammon Gold's 2.9. Backgammon also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 33%) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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 Gold sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 136 and 168 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Backgammon Gold's written reviews are positive against 70% of Backgammon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon Gold ships an update every 5 weeks, Backgammon every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Backgammon Gold versus Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon GoldBackgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (136 ratings)4.4 (168 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.0% of reviews70.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings136168 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB104 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermobivention GmbHLinda Mottley

Customer experience

Backgammon Gold

All ratings136 ratings
Positive43.4%
Neutral12.5%
Negative44.1%
Written reviews300 reviews
Positive33.0%
Neutral10.3%
Negative56.7%

Backgammon

All ratings168 ratings
Positive86.3%
Neutral3.0%
Negative10.7%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive70.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative27.8%

User reviews

Backgammon Gold

From 136 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Great visuals
  • 🕹️ Excellent interface
  • 🕹️ Customizable settings
  • 🕹️ Challenging AI

Room to improve

  • 🎲 Rigged dice rolls
  • 🤖 Unfair AI advantage
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔒 Unreliable online play
  • 💰 Aggressive monetization

Backgammon

From 168 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Fun and enjoyable game
  • 👍 Good graphics and design
  • 👍 Helpful tutorial for beginners
  • 👍 Can be played offline
  • 👍 Good for passing time

Room to improve

  • 👎 AI is rigged/cheats
  • 👎 Computer rolls are not random
  • 👎 Poor AI logic/plays poorly
  • 👎 App frequently crashes or freezes
  • 👎 App won't open/blank screen

Bugs and requests

Backgammon Gold

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Disconnects from server
  • Incorrect tournament scoring
  • Unresponsive controls
  • Graphical glitches

Requested features

5 requests
  • Online multiplayer mode
  • Improved AI difficulty scaling
  • Random dice roll option
  • Ability to save and resume games
  • More customization options

Backgammon

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App won't open
  • App freezes/hangs
  • Two taps required for one move
  • Incorrect move selection by AI
  • AI rolls are not random
Show 4 more
  • Display graphics obscure continue button
  • In 2-player mode, no menus appear when black starts
  • Software doesn't always display who goes first in 2-player hard mode
  • UI elements cover board pieces

Requested features

5 requests
  • Fix rigged AI rolls
  • Make AI more challenging/less predictable
  • Allow users to choose layout/design
  • Reconsider placement of move/undo buttons
  • Add option for cube

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Backgammon Gold

One-time7
  • Style Pack 1$0.99
  • Bluetooth Multiplayer$0.99
  • Style Pack 2$0.99
Show 4 more
  • Backgammon Tutor$0.99
  • Ad-Banner Removal$1.99
  • Advanced Computer Opponent$3.99
  • Premium Version$4.99
None

Backgammon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backgammon Gold free?
Backgammon Gold is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Gold or Backgammon?
Backgammon is rated higher. Backgammon Gold averages 2.9 out of 5 from 136 ratings, while Backgammon averages 4.4 from 168 ratings.
Do Backgammon Gold or Backgammon have ads?
Both Backgammon Gold and Backgammon show ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Gold or Backgammon?
Backgammon Gold ships an update every 5 weeks, and Backgammon every 8 days. Most recently, Backgammon Gold was updated on September 19, 2026 and Backgammon on September 23, 2026.

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