Comparison

Backgammon vs MathCage

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

Head to head
About

Backgammon

Features
Read full description

Backgammon is one of the oldest and most rewarding strategy games ever created. This app teaches you how to actually play it well. LEARN BY DOING 8 lessons take you from board setup through opening moves, hitting and re-entering, building primes, bearing off, the doubling cube, and advanced positional strategy. Every lesson puts you at the board with interactive positions so you build real understanding, not just memorize rules. PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST 8 practice scenarios drop you into real game situations. Figure out the most efficient bearing off sequence. Decide whether to hit or make a key point. Evaluate opening rolls. Manage an endgame race. Each scenario gives you immediate feedback so you know exactly where your thinking went right or wrong. PLAY AGAINST THREE AI LEVELS Beginner opponents let you learn at your own pace. Intermediate opponents play solid positional backgammon. Advanced opponents build primes, anchor behind your position, evaluate the race with pip counts, and make sharp doubling decisions. As you improve, your opponents keep up. YOUR GAME, YOUR DATA Game history, win rates, and lesson progress stay on your device. Game Center achievements and leaderboards are there if you want them. Everything works offline. NO ADS. NO TRACKING. EVER. Most free backgammon apps make money by showing you ads every other turn and selling your data to third parties. This app costs $0.99 because we'd rather sell you a great backgammon game than sell your attention to advertisers. One purchase, everything included, nothing else to buy. WHAT'S INCLUDED - 8 structured lessons across Fundamentals, Building Your Game, and Strategy - 8 practice scenarios with real board positions and feedback - 3 AI difficulty levels with distinct play styles - Full rules engine including the doubling cube - Pip count display for evaluating race positions - Game history and detailed statistics - Game Center achievements and leaderboards - Completely offline, completely private

About

MathCage

Features
Read full description

MathCage is the classic math logic game — a fresh challenge for Sudoku fans who love numbers and reasoning. Fill the grid, satisfy every cage, and train your brain anywhere. HOW TO PLAY • Fill the grid with numbers (1-4, 1-5 or 1-6) • No number repeats in any row or column • Numbers in each cage must satisfy the arithmetic clue (+, āˆ’, Ɨ, Ć·) • Single-cell cages show the answer directly WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • Unlimited puzzles — every grid is freshly generated with a unique solution • 3 difficulty levels: Easy 4Ɨ4, Medium 5Ɨ5, Hard 6Ɨ6 • Notes, undo and auto-save for strategic play • Track your best times and completed games • Clean, minimal design with satisfying haptics • 100% offline — perfect for flights, commutes and travel • Completely free: no ads, no subscriptions, no in-app purchases PERFECT FOR • Sudoku fans looking for a smarter alternative • Daily brain training and mental math practice • Students sharpening arithmetic skills • Anyone who loves logic puzzles and number games Download MathCage now and give your brain its daily workout!

Screenshots

Backgammon4 screens
MathCage4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MathCage at Free against Backgammon's $0.99. Backgammon's advantage is chart position (#126 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

MathCage is free to download; Backgammon costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 4 level
Backgammon versus MathCage: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBackgammonMathCage
Price$0.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Best chart rank#126 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThomas Gamullꙓ 郭

In-app purchases

None

Backgammon

No in-app purchases

None

MathCage

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Backgammon free?
Backgammon costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MathCage free?
MathCage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Backgammon or MathCage have ads?
Neither Backgammon nor MathCage shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backgammon or MathCage?
Backgammon ships an update every 3 months, and MathCage every 3 months. Most recently, Backgammon was updated on September 21, 2026 and MathCage on September 22, 2026.

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