Comparison

SHOTIMER vs 囲碁ベース

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

Head to head
About

SHOTIMER

Features
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SHOTIMER is a game clock app that announces your remaining time by voice. Use it for chess, shogi, Go — any two-player board game. "3 minutes left." "50 seconds… 1, 2, 3…" Leave the countdown to the character voices and keep your eyes on the board. It couldn't be simpler: make your move, then tap your side. Place your phone or tablet next to the board and you're ready for a serious match. ■ Voices for the countdown - Zundamon - Shikoku Metan - Hiroyuki - Buzzer / ECG - Mute and random options available ■ Six time controls - Sudden Death - Byoyomi - Main Time + Byoyomi - Fischer (the increment system used in official chess events) - NHK Cup Style (byoyomi with extra thinking time) - Canadian (used in Go: play a set number of moves within a set time) Main time and seconds are fully adjustable — from official tournament rules to casual blitz. ■ Features that support your game - "Per side" mode: set time and voice separately for each player - "Enlarge active side": the running player's area grows, making it easier to tap - Landscape display support — comfortable on iPad and tablets - Choose which player presses the button to start the game ■ 12 themes from traditional Japanese colors Sumi ink, iron navy, navy, hanada blue, blue-green, bamboo green, ochre, persimmon, crimson, peony, wisteria and dark brown — match your mood. ■ Available in 8 languages Japanese, English, Chinese (Simplified / Traditional), Spanish, French, Portuguese and Arabic At the club, with friends, or at home with family — SHOTIMER keeps time for your games.

About

囲碁ベース

Features
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The Nihon Ki-in’s official app, “Go Base,” is an initiative aimed at transforming Go from a game “for a select few” into a culture that everyone can engage with. We value the principles of “making everyone a participant,” “making Go visible,” “sharing information,” and “creating together with everyone.” We aimed to create an app that would be useful to everyone involved in Go—not only players, but also spectators, go club managers, organizers of community center Go clubs, and event organizers. Go Base is an app designed to make Go games played with a physical board and stones more enjoyable and fulfilling. Main Features of GoBase - Games Using Ratings GoBase has introduced a rating system with the goal of quantifying the playing strength of every Go player. From the “Games” tab, use your camera to scan the QR code on your opponent’s Go Base membership card to prepare for the game. Based on the rating difference between you and your opponent, Go Base will display its recommended handicap. You can accept the recommended handicap, or choose to play even or a custom handicap. Once the handicap is set, begin the game using a physical board and stones. After the game ends, record the result in GoBase. When the player who scanned the QR code registers the result, ratings are updated based on that outcome, as well as both players’ ratings and win rates. Continued use of GoBase improves the accuracy of ratings, enabling the app to calculate appropriate handicaps for future games. As a result, this helps reduce the number of games played with inappropriate handicaps. Game results include not only the winner and loser but also the date and time of the game, the location, and the handicap. Additionally, if you take a photo of the board at the end of the game, you can save a diagram of the final board position generated by image recognition as a record. Furthermore, if you register the game record, you can review it by replaying it within the app. - Go Spots Feature This feature allows you to search on a map for places to play Go throughout Japan, including Go clubs and Go gatherings at community centers. As of June 2026, the app lists over 800 Go spots, ranging from Wakkanai City in Hokkaido in the north to Miyakojima City in Okinawa Prefecture in the south. Using your smartphone’s location data, you can easily search for Go spots near your current location. Additionally, managers of Go clubs and community center Go gatherings can register their email addresses to post facility information and event details for Go Base users. - Go Event Feature This feature allows you to search for Go tournaments and Go-related events held throughout Japan. You can narrow your search by event type—such as Go tournaments, large-board commentaries, and commentary sessions—or by participation criteria, such as events for women or children only. You can also use your smartphone’s location data to search for events based on their distance from your current location. For events that accept registrations, you can sign up directly from the app. Event organizers can register event information and notify users. ------------------ * Go Base does not include an in-app online match feature. Go Base is an app designed to make actual Go games played with a board and stones more enjoyable and fulfilling.

Screenshots

SHOTIMER4 screens
囲碁ベース4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: 囲碁ベース at weekly against SHOTIMER's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SHOTIMER ships an update every 2 months, 囲碁ベース weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
SHOTIMER versus 囲碁ベース: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSHOTIMER囲碁ベース
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB69 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuki MaitaniThe Nihon Kiin

In-app purchases

None

SHOTIMER

No in-app purchases

None

囲碁ベース

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SHOTIMER free?
SHOTIMER is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is 囲碁ベース free?
囲碁ベース is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SHOTIMER or 囲碁ベース have ads?
Neither SHOTIMER nor 囲碁ベース shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SHOTIMER or 囲碁ベース?
SHOTIMER ships an update every 2 months, and 囲碁ベース weekly. Most recently, SHOTIMER was updated on October 25, 2026 and 囲碁ベース on October 26, 2026.

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