Comparison

The Othello vs Smart Othello

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

Head to head
About

The Othello

Experience a visually stunning Othello game with 30 difficulty levels for all skill sets. Challenge the computer to unlock special boards and stones, or play with friends on a single device. Save your progress, get hints, and even share game records via email.

Highlights
  • 30 difficulty levels
  • Unlockable special boards and stones
  • Human vs Computer play
  • Human vs Human play (single device)
  • Handicap game option
  • Save/Load game records
  • Email game record transmission
Features
Read full description

If you are looking for a real Othello app with beautiful graphics and animation, this is it! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- "The Othello" is a wonderful version. With this single app alone, you can play with all of iPhone/iPod touch/iPad ! And... Enjoy "real" Othello whenever you like, wherever you want. *30 difficulty levels from beginner to expert. You will find the most suitable strength among the 30 levels for "head-to-head" game. *Challenge to win the special style boards by defeating computer! If you defeat computer under the given conditions, you will get the new surprising boards and stones to replace. *Other features: - Human vs Computer, Human vs Human (sharing a single device) - Handicap game(a game starting with 1-4 black handicap-stones) - Save/Load game record - Hint - transmit game record by e-mail - play this game while listening iPhone music

About

Smart Othello

Experience the classic strategy board game with this app. Play against friends or a computer with five difficulty levels. Improve your skills with a tutorial and helpful aids, making it easy to learn but challenging to master.

Highlights
  • Five computer play levels
  • Real-time matches via Game Center
  • Achievements and leaderboards
  • Blunder Guard
  • Hint, undo, and replay functions
  • Collection of top player games
Features
Read full description

Play Othello against your friends or the computer. Created by the 1992 US Othello Champion, this is the Othello app you’ve been waiting for. A powerful engine wrapped in a clean user interface. With five levels to choose from, you’ll find the level that gives you the right challenge. The built-in tutorial and teaching aids will help you improve your game — advance to the next level and give your friends a good fight. — A MINUTE TO LEARN … A LIFETIME TO MASTER — Othello has simple rules: just bracket opponent discs and flip them to your color. But proper strategy is more complex than you might think. Smart Othello makes the game enjoyable while improving your play. Features: • Five levels of computer play, from novice to master. • Real-time matches using Game Center. • Achievements and leaderboards to challenge you. • Blunder Guard to keep you from making bad mistakes. • Random openings that give both players an equal chance. • Hint, undo, and easy game replay. • Collection of games by top players for replay and study. Smart Othello was created by the 1992 US Othello Champion, who also developed the acclaimed SmartGo apps for the game of Go. Othello® is a registered trademark of MegaHouse Corporation. Used with permission.

Screenshots

The Othello4 screens
Smart Othello4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Smart Othello at 4.6 against The Othello's 3.5. Smart Othello also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (535 vs 40). The Othello's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. The Othello sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Smart Othello sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Smart Othello holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Othello has 535 ratings behind it against 40, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of The Othello's written reviews are positive against 65% of Smart Othello's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Othello ships an update every 3 months, Smart Othello every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
The Othello versus Smart Othello: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe OthelloSmart Othello
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (40 ratings)4.6 (535 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews65.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40535 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUNBALANCE CorporationSmart Go, Inc.

Customer experience

The Othello

All ratings40 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral7.5%
Negative32.5%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral9.2%
Negative35.5%

Smart Othello

All ratings535 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive65.3%
Neutral6.1%
Negative28.6%

Bugs and requests

The Othello

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Smart Othello

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App freezes on launch when Game Center is enabled
  • Game crashes mid-play on certain difficulty levels
  • Online play fails to find opponents or pair players
  • App locks up when switching to other applications
  • Game Center notifications excessive and intrusive
Show 4 more
  • Online games create duplicate concurrent matches
  • Game sync fails between multiple devices
  • Support email from within app doesn't work
  • Game becomes unresponsive during online play

Requested features

9 requests
  • Fix online multiplayer functionality
  • Add local 2-player head-to-head mode
  • Implement time limits for online moves
  • Add option to remove/customize player avatars
  • Improve Game Center integration and sync
Show 4 more
  • Better online mode instructions and documentation
  • Auto-play engine for replay functionality
  • Restore previous purchases
  • Improve difficulty level progression

In-app purchases

1 purchases

The Othello

One-time1
  • Remove Ad$2.99
1 purchases

Smart Othello

One-time1
  • Pro Pack$2.99

Questions

Is The Othello free?
The Othello is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Smart Othello free?
Smart Othello is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Othello or Smart Othello?
Smart Othello is rated higher. The Othello averages 3.5 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while Smart Othello averages 4.6 from 535 ratings.
Do The Othello or Smart Othello have ads?
The Othello shows ads; Smart Othello does not.
Which is updated more often, The Othello or Smart Othello?
The Othello ships an update every 3 months, and Smart Othello every 2 months. Most recently, The Othello was updated on September 20, 2026 and Smart Othello on September 27, 2026.

Other comparisons