Comparison

iTavli vs Original Backgammon

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

Head to head
About

iTavli

This app offers a vast collection of backgammon variations, allowing you to play against friends online or the computer. Enjoy features like chat, statistics, and customizable game settings for an enhanced backgammon experience.

Highlights
  • 15 backgammon variations
  • Online multiplayer with friends
  • Play against AI (3 difficulty levels)
  • Chat functionality
  • Tournament mode
  • Detailed statistics
  • Customizable chip colors and board layout
Features
Read full description

Why do you play a single backgammon game, when you can play ALL backgammon games? Why do you play against the computer, when you can play with your FRIENDS from all over the world? Play against your friend or the computer (3 levels of difficulty) 15 backgammon like games: * Modern Backgammon (with the Doubling Cube) * Portes or Backgammon * LongGammon * Plakoto or Blockgammon: (You block your opponent's single checker when you land on it) * Plakoto Express * Fevga or Narde: (You can land your checkers on open or friendly occupied places) * Russian Narde * Khacapuri * Gul bara * Acey - Deucey (American) * Acey - Deucey (European) * Nackgammon * Tawla31 * Gioul * Moultezim * Set the winning score and play a tournament with your opponent Use the bluetooth to connect and play with your nearby friends OR Online Game (Please visit the website for instructions): - Play with your friends from all over the world!! - Chat with you friends!! - Select your opponent - Select the game you wish to play - Statistics - Be notified when your opponent is offline and back-online Extra Features: - Control chip's movement with tapping - Unlimited undo function (for each turn) - Realistic sound - Amazing graphics - Three different options for rolling the dice (auto-roll, tap to roll, shake to roll) - Statistics - Save the name of the player - Select and Save the color of the chips for the player and the opponent - Two ways to set up the board: left and right layout

About

Original Backgammon

Experience the classic board game of backgammon. Compete against AI, a local opponent, or players online. Be the first to move all your pieces off the board to win.

Highlights
  • Play against computer AI
  • Local multiplayer mode
  • Online multiplayer matches
  • Traditional backgammon rules
  • Checkers movement and removal
Features
Read full description

Play the traditional game of backgammon against the computer, a friend on the same device, or someone over the internet. The objective of the game is to move all of your checkers around the board, until they are all in your home. When they are all home, then you can start moving them off the board. The first player to move all their checkers off the board, will be the winner.

Screenshots

iTavli4 screens
Original Backgammon2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Original Backgammon at none against iTavli's 12. iTavli's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. iTavli sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Original Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iTavli holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iTavli has 55 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of iTavli's written reviews are positive against 33% of Original Backgammon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iTavli ships an update monthly, Original Backgammon every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iTavli versus Original Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriTavliOriginal Backgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (55 ratings) — better3.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews44.2% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings55 — better3
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size72 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developeri-SmartSolutionsMOBILEFUSION APPS LTD

Customer experience

iTavli

All ratings55 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral14.5%
Negative21.8%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive44.2%
Neutral17.1%
Negative38.8%

Original Backgammon

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

iTavli

Reported bugs

18 issues
  • App crashes during gameplay, especially in tournament mode
  • Pieces disappear or become invisible when stacked
  • Opponent's pieces land on player's pieces and stall game
  • Illegal moves allowed (extra moves on doubles, moving backwards)
  • Game freezes when online opponent disconnects
Show 13 more
  • Undo function only works for first move
  • Game selection doesn't match what loads (Plakoto/Fevga confusion)
  • Checker stuck in place for extended periods
  • Board state inconsistency between players
  • App won't respond to play button
  • Game hangs waiting for online player acceptance
  • Crashes when finishing online games
  • Sluggish performance after multiple games
  • Dice rolls appear biased or unfair
  • In-app purchases not registering properly
  • Game becomes unresponsive mid-game
  • Pieces move illegally in Acey-Deucey variant
  • Tournament mode freezes at Fevga (third game)

Requested features

17 requests
  • Improved AI difficulty with better strategic gameplay
  • Resign button for early game exit
  • Reliable undo/confirm button for moves
  • Tournament save/resume functionality
  • Sound effects and dice rolling audio
Show 12 more
  • Authentic kafenio background ambiance
  • Player rating and statistics system
  • Move timer for online games
  • Bluetooth connectivity between devices
  • Customizable board colors and checker colors
  • Better online player discovery and filtering
  • In-game contact/support option
  • Auto-finish when neither player can capture
  • Faster online game responsiveness
  • Right-aligned default board setup option
  • Headphone compatibility
  • Improved graphics and animation speed

Original Backgammon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

iTavli

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$4.991 Year
One-time11
  • Get 1000 coins for $1.99$1.99
  • Get 3000 coins for $2.99$2.99
  • Get 10000 coins for $4.99$4.99
Show 8 more
  • The Plakoto (or Blockgammon) game$5.99
  • The Fevga (or Narde) game$5.99
  • Purchase the Acey Deucey (Amercan) game$5.99
  • Purchase the Gulbara game$5.99
  • Purchase the Acey Deucey (European) game$5.99
  • Purchase the Tawla 31 game$5.99
  • Purchase Russian Narde game$5.99
  • Purchase Plakoto Express game$5.99
None

Original Backgammon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iTavli free?
iTavli is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Original Backgammon free?
Original Backgammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iTavli or Original Backgammon?
iTavli is rated higher. iTavli averages 3.7 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Original Backgammon averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.
Do iTavli or Original Backgammon have ads?
Both iTavli and Original Backgammon show ads.
Which is updated more often, iTavli or Original Backgammon?
iTavli ships an update monthly, and Original Backgammon every 5 months. Most recently, iTavli was updated on October 7, 2026 and Original Backgammon on October 6, 2026.

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