# Tsumego Pro (Go problems) vs Smart Othello

The clearest difference is ads: Smart Othello at none against Tsumego Pro (Go problems)'s shown. Tsumego Pro (Go problems)'s advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (74% vs 65%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tsumego Pro (Go problems) sells 12 one-off in-app purchases and Smart Othello sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Tsumego Pro (Go problems) against 4.6 for Smart Othello. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 535 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Tsumego Pro (Go problems)'s written reviews are positive against 65% of Smart Othello's.

Tsumego Pro (Go problems) ships an update every 3 weeks, Smart Othello every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tsumego Pro (Go problems) | Smart Othello |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tsumego-pro-go-problems/id892041876/reviews) | **[4.6 (535 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-othello/id1056367184/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | 535 |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 65.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 14 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Emmanuel Mathis](https://appshunter.io/developer/892041879) | [Smart Go, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/290948289) |

## What reviewers say

### Tsumego Pro (Go problems)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tsumego-pro-go-problems/id892041876)

Enhance your Go skills with a vast library of tsumego puzzles. Learn from detailed solutions and explore variations to understand mistakes. Features daily problems, adaptive difficulty, and customizable game settings.

**Highlights:** Daily tsumego problems, Adaptive difficulty modes, Detailed solutions and bad variations, Color selection (black, white, random), Hint system, Book theme

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| +150 Basic Problems | $0.99 | one-time |
| +150 Intermediate problems | $0.99 | one-time |
| +150 Easy problems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beginner problems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Elementary problems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate problems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced problems | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced problems #2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Basic tesuji | $1.99 | one-time |
| Daily problems - Easy | $1.99 | one-time |
| Daily problems - Hard | $1.99 | one-time |
| All-Access Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Stimulate thinking
- 👍 Minimalistic, Gets the Job Done
- 👍 Great app for learning Go on the move!
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Amazing Go app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Do Not Buy All-Access Pack
- 🐛 Sometimes it says resolved when black loses
- 🐛 Not for beginners, not helpful at all
- 🐛 Decent - room for improvement
- 🐛 Lacking feedback, errors, & lack of control

**Reported bugs**

- Purchases do not work
- Incorrect problems
- Issues with the progress mode and problem selection

**Requested features**

- Explanation when a move is correct or incorrect
- More explanations and instructions for beginners
- Ability to play out variations and see different outcomes
- Consistent difficulty ratings for problems
- Ability to bookmark and revisit problems


### Smart Othello

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-othello/id1056367184)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Pack | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🧠 Excellent AI with challenging difficulty levels
- 💡 Helpful hints and tips for learning
- ↩️ Undo button for reviewing mistakes
- 🎨 Clean, elegant, and intuitive interface
- 📚 Extensive expert database (126,000 matches)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- 🔋 Excessive battery consumption
- 🌐 Online multiplayer doesn't work reliably
- 📧 Support email feature non-functional
- 🎮 Inconsistent difficulty scaling (too easy or too hard)

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tsumego Pro (Go problems) free?

Tsumego Pro (Go problems) 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, Tsumego Pro (Go problems) or Smart Othello?

Smart Othello is rated higher. Tsumego Pro (Go problems) averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while Smart Othello averages 4.6 from 535 ratings.

### Do Tsumego Pro (Go problems) or Smart Othello have ads?

Tsumego Pro (Go problems) shows ads; Smart Othello does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tsumego Pro (Go problems) or Smart Othello?

Tsumego Pro (Go problems) ships an update every 3 weeks, and Smart Othello every 2 months. Most recently, Tsumego Pro (Go problems) was updated on October 17, 2026 and Smart Othello on October 14, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*