Comparison

Backgammon Live vs Simple Backgammon

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon Live

Play backgammon online against real players with this app. It offers matches, tournaments, and chat features, supporting various internet connections. Learn strategies and master the game.

Highlights
  • Online backgammon matches
  • Backgammon tournaments
  • In-game chat
  • Reconnection on internet loss
  • Email games for analysis
  • Backgammon rules and strategies
Features
Read full description

With Backgammon Live, you can play online backgammon on iPad in HD and you can play on iPhone and iPod Touch as well. Internet connection required. Play internet backgammon games or matches or tournaments, chat, compete, make new friends! If you had an internet disconnection, Backgammon Live Online will reconnect you. You can use either WIFI or non-WIFI connection. Backgammon Live Online will play fine with 3G connection as well. Play single and multi-point backgammon matches, invite players or respond to invitations, email games to yourself for further analysis. Backgammon is not a game of luck as many perceive, but rather, a strategic visual game of war; in many ways it is as difficult to master as chess. Although an element of luck is involved, a skilled backgammon player uses intuition, calculations, creativity and psychology to beat the opponent. The goal in backgamon online is to move all own checkers into the home board and then bear them off (i.e. remove them from the backgammon board). The first backgammon player to remove all of his checkers wins the backgammon game. The Help section of Backgammon Live Online presents rules and strategies for backgammon. You will learn the best ways to play your opening rolls, how to Build a Blockade, how to Establish Anchors, how to Optimize Distribution of Checkers and how to Reduce 'Good' Rolls for the Opponent. The backgammon strategies section describes When to Expose Checkers vs. When to Consolidate Them and how to make a decision When to Hit or not to Hit opponent's backgammon checker. Although backgammon is a very old game, it still continues to fascinate its numerous fans around the globe. It is no wonder that nowadays there are many spellings and acronyms of the game's name. Backgammon can be referred to as: gammon, backgamon and even baggamon, baggammon and bagamon and bagammon! In Greece and Turkey, backgammon is known as tavla. In Iran and Russia, they call backgammon nardi. If backgammon were strictly a game of chance, players would only be expected to win on average just about one half of their games. Yet, just like in chess, stronger backgammon players consistently win games against backgammon newbies. There is a lot more skill required in backgammon than just rolling the dice and mindlessly racing checkers around the board! Backgammon Live Online app won't bedazzle you with currently fashionable 3D graphics. However, you’ll discover that this online backgammon app is a fast-paced and at the same time comfortable, relaxing and familiar parlor game of old. Backgammon Live Online offers an authentic backgammon experience in an online backgammon club where you can chat, play and compete against other real players on the net and fall in love with this board game that’s been played for thousands of years. Do you know the difference between 'gammon' and 'backgammon' in backgammon matches? A gammon is a completed game of backgammon in which the losing player has not borne off any checkers. A gammon is also called a double game because the winner receives twice the value of the doubling cube. A backgammon is a completed game of backgammon in which the losing player has not borne off any checkers and still has one or more checkers on the bar or in the winner's home board. A backgammon is also called a triple game because the winner receives three times the value of the doubling cube.

About

Simple Backgammon

Enjoy a straightforward game of Backgammon against a computer opponent. This version omits the doubling cube for a streamlined experience. Perfect for quick matches.

Highlights
  • Backgammon gameplay
  • Computer opponent
  • No doubling cube
  • Simple interface
  • Offline play
Read full description

This is a simple version of Backgammon, with no doubling cube. Play against a computer opponent.

Screenshots

Backgammon Live2 screens
Simple Backgammon1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Backgammon Live at 78% against Simple Backgammon's 33%. Backgammon Live also leads on rating (4.0 vs 2.3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 31 months). Simple Backgammon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, 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. Backgammon Live sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Simple Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backgammon Live holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backgammon Live has 139 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Backgammon Live's written reviews are positive against 33% of Simple Backgammon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Backgammon Live ships an update monthly, Simple Backgammon every 31 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and June 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Backgammon Live versus Simple Backgammon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammon LiveSimple Backgammon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (139 ratings) — better2.3 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews78.1% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings139 — better4
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 31 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB1 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBPS SoftwarePhil Stern

Customer experience

Backgammon Live

All ratings139 ratings
Positive74.1%
Neutral1.4%
Negative24.5%
Written reviews192 reviews
Positive78.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative19.3%

Simple Backgammon

All ratings4 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative75.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Bugs and requests

Backgammon Live

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login and account issues
  • Freezing or black screens
  • Inconsistent dice rolls and game outcomes
  • Inability to close or exit advertisements

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to play against friends or in private rooms
  • More customization options for the game interface
  • Improved chat functionality and sportsmanship
  • Better matchmaking based on player skill levels
  • Offline or single-player mode for practice

Simple Backgammon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Backgammon Live

One-time3
  • Set of 2 $Tickets$2.99
  • Set of 7 $Tickets$9.99
  • Set of 15 $Tickets$17.99
None

Simple Backgammon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backgammon Live free?
Backgammon Live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Backgammon free?
Simple Backgammon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Backgammon Live or Simple Backgammon?
Backgammon Live is rated higher. Backgammon Live averages 4.0 out of 5 from 139 ratings, while Simple Backgammon averages 2.3 from 4 ratings.
Do Backgammon Live or Simple Backgammon have ads?
Backgammon Live shows ads; Simple Backgammon does not.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon Live or Simple Backgammon?
Backgammon Live ships an update monthly, and Simple Backgammon every 31 months. Most recently, Backgammon Live was updated on September 17, 2026 and Simple Backgammon on June 2, 2026.

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