# Hardwood Backgammon vs Master Backgammon

The clearest difference is price: Hardwood Backgammon at Free against Master Backgammon's $2.99. Hardwood Backgammon also leads on ratings volume (166 vs 1). Master Backgammon's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (100% vs 63%). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Hardwood Backgammon is free to download; Master Backgammon costs $2.99 up front. Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Master Backgammon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Master Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hardwood Backgammon has 166 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 100% of Master Backgammon's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardwood Backgammon | Master Backgammon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-backgammon/id897715914/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/master-backgammon/id1539246850/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 105 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Silver Creek Entertainment](https://appshunter.io/developer/493710735) | [Ken Fox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352566796) |

## What reviewers say

### Hardwood Backgammon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-backgammon/id897715914)

Experience the classic board game with this digital adaptation. Play against a strong AI, challenge friends locally, or compete with players worldwide. Features include full match play, a doubling cube, and engaging achievements.

**Highlights:** Single player vs AI, Online multiplayer, 2 player local mode, Full match play, Doubling cube, Achievements

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

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plus Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| 1 Month Plus Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Plus Membership | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| 3 Month Plus Membership | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| Plus Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| 12 Month Plus Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| Pack of 80 Tokens | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 165 Tokens | $1.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $2.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 425 Tokens | $4.99 | one-time |
| 1 Month Plus Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $4.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 865 Tokens | $9.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $14.99 | one-time |
| Plus Membership | $19.99 | one-time |
| Pack of 1800 Tokens | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 High-quality graphics and visual design
- 🎵 Relaxing sound effects and audio
- 👍 Clean, intuitive interface
- 🎮 Multiple game modes (single and multiplayer)
- ⚡ Minimal ads and non-intrusive monetization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Perceived unfair/rigged dice rolls favoring AI
- 😤 Computer gets excessive doubles and perfect rolls
- 🔒 Paywall features and token-based progression
- 📱 Game board too small on large screens
- 🐢 Game performance issues and slowness

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to load on some devices
- Apple TV version blocks legal moves
- Controls unresponsive on Apple TV
- Unclear how to enable local multiplayer between devices
- Game becomes unresponsive during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Acey-Deucey game variant
- Larger, scalable game board for tablets
- Better difficulty settings based on strategy, not just dice manipulation
- More multiplayer players available
- Customizable game rules and settings


### Master Backgammon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/master-backgammon/id1539246850)

Master Backgammon offers a classic board game experience with multiple game modes, including single games without the doubling cube and longer matches that utilize it. Track your progress with a built-in history log of game results.

**Highlights:** Single games (no doubling cube), 5-game matches (with doubling cube), 9-game matches (with doubling cube), History log of game results

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardwood Backgammon free?

Hardwood Backgammon is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Master Backgammon free?

Master Backgammon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Hardwood Backgammon or Master Backgammon?

Master Backgammon is rated higher. Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Master Backgammon averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Hardwood Backgammon or Master Backgammon have ads?

Hardwood Backgammon shows ads; Master Backgammon does not.

### Which is updated more often, Hardwood Backgammon or Master Backgammon?

Hardwood Backgammon ships an update every 2 months, and Master Backgammon every 2 months. Most recently, Hardwood Backgammon was updated on October 6, 2026 and Master Backgammon on October 4, 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.*