Comparison

Shogi vs Byoyomi

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

Head to head
About

Shogi

Features
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A simple, easy-to-use shogi clock. Set the main time and byoyomi, then enjoy your game with a large, clear clock display. • Main time from 0 to 180 minutes • Byoyomi from 0 to 60 seconds, in 5-second increments • Spoken byoyomi countdown • Tap your clock after each move to switch turns • Touch and hold the pause button to return to settings • Supports Japanese, English, French, Simplified Chinese, and German • Available for iPhone and iPad Set the main time to 0 to start directly in byoyomi. Set byoyomi to 0 to play without overtime: running out of main time ends the game. How to play Choose the main time and byoyomi, then tap Set. Tap either clock to start the opposite clock. After making your move, tap your own clock to pass the turn to your opponent. On-screen text and spoken announcements follow the app’s language setting.

About

Byoyomi

Features
Read full description

A clean, flexible game clock for Shogi, Go, Chess, and other board games. Time Controls: • Byoyomi – countdown system used in Shogi and Go • Sudden Death • Fischer Increment • Consideration Time Features: • Save custom presets for quick setup • Japanese voice countdown with 8 unique characters (Japanese audio only) • Clean, distraction-free interface

Screenshots

Shogi4 screens
Byoyomi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shogi at none against Byoyomi's 1. Shogi also leads on ads (none vs shown). Byoyomi's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price 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. Byoyomi sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shogi asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shogi ships an update every 4 months, Byoyomi weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 2 level
Shogi versus Byoyomi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShogiByoyomi
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuta TairaDaisaku Inoue

In-app purchases

None

Shogi

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Byoyomi

One-time1
  • 広告を削除$2.99

Questions

Is Shogi free?
Shogi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Byoyomi free?
Byoyomi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shogi or Byoyomi have ads?
Byoyomi shows ads; Shogi does not.
Which is updated more often, Shogi or Byoyomi?
Shogi ships an update every 4 months, and Byoyomi weekly. Most recently, Shogi was updated on October 31, 2026 and Byoyomi on November 9, 2026.

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