Comparison

Shogi Thinking Training vs Stone Grid

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

Head to head
About

Shogi Thinking Training

Hone your midgame strategy with next-move problems designed to improve your ability to analyze situations and select the best move in real games. This app offers a continuous supply of AI-generated problems for motivated learners aiming to reduce judgment errors and enhance their tactical skills.

Highlights
  • Next-move problem generation
  • Focus on midgame situations
  • Review solved problems
  • AI-generated questions
  • Daily learning integration
Features
Read full description

Shogi skill cannot be improved by simply knowing joseki, techniques, and tsumeshogi problems. Winning in real games requires the ability to thoroughly consider the best move when encountering a situation for the first time. This app is a next-move problem app designed to intensively hone that ability. The purpose is to improve midgame situation judgment. By working on next-move problems, you will develop the ability to list potential moves, read the game, and select the best move. The app is designed to be easy to continue even in short bursts, making it easy to incorporate into your daily learning. The app is aimed at motivated learners, primarily 1st to 3rd dan players. It is suitable for those who want to improve, reduce judgment errors in real games, and change the way they view situations. It can be used by all ages. Key features include: Next-move problem generation. Provides problems that can be solved as thinking exercises, focusing on midgame situations that are typical of real games. Review. Review solved problems to solidify decision-making habits and reading patterns. We provide a continuous supply of high-quality problems at a low price. Question creation is streamlined by an automated question program using shogi AI, which can create 100 questions in about 20 minutes. We will continue to steadily increase the number of questions available for study.

About

Stone Grid

Features
Read full description

Stone Grid - Gomoku is a clean and focused Gomoku board game. Play on both 15x15 and 19x19 boards and connect exactly five stones in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally before your opponent. Challenge the AI, play with a friend on the same device, and enjoy a classic strategy board game experience designed for both casual and competitive players. Features * Play against AI — choose difficulty before each match * Beginner mode — highlights must-block positions to avoid losing * Multiple AI difficulty levels * Local 2-player mode on one device * 15x15 and 19x19 boards * Blind mode with glass stones (last move stays visible) * Zoom in/out support * Undo and restart controls * Hint support * Winning line highlight * Sound and haptic feedback * Multiple language support * Optional one-time purchase to remove banner ads

Screenshots

Shogi Thinking Training4 screens
Stone Grid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Shogi Thinking Training at none against Stone Grid's shown. Stone Grid's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, 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. Shogi Thinking Training sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Stone Grid sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shogi Thinking Training ships an update weekly, Stone Grid every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ¡ 5 level
Shogi Thinking Training versus Stone Grid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShogi Thinking TrainingStone Grid
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size139 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHikari ShimizuSeungHoon Kam

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Shogi Thinking Training

One-time3
  • 三間飛車 vs 右四間飛車$5.99
  • ショーダンシステム研究ノート$5.99
  • 右玉 vs 角換わり$6.99
1 purchases

Stone Grid

One-time1
  • Remove Banner Ads$2.99

Questions

Is Shogi Thinking Training free?
Shogi Thinking Training is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Stone Grid free?
Stone Grid is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shogi Thinking Training or Stone Grid have ads?
Stone Grid shows ads; Shogi Thinking Training does not.
Which is updated more often, Shogi Thinking Training or Stone Grid?
Shogi Thinking Training ships an update weekly, and Stone Grid every 3 days. Most recently, Shogi Thinking Training was updated on October 6, 2026 and Stone Grid on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons