# Hardwood Backgammon vs Backgammon Online

The clearest difference is update cadence: Backgammon Online at weekly against Hardwood Backgammon's every 2 months. Backgammon Online also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 63%). Hardwood Backgammon's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hardwood Backgammon sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Backgammon Online sells 27 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hardwood Backgammon holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 166 and 142 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Hardwood Backgammon's written reviews are positive against 73% of Backgammon Online's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Hardwood Backgammon ships an update every 2 months, Backgammon Online weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hardwood Backgammon | Backgammon Online |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (166 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hardwood-backgammon/id897715914/reviews)** | [4.1 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon-online-dice-game/id1643163168/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **166** | 142 |
| Positive reviews | 62.5% of reviews | **73.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 105 MB | 152 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) | [Anton Iliukhin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1855483323) |

## 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


### Backgammon Online

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backgammon-online-dice-game/id1643163168)

Experience classic backgammon with a modern twist. Play against real players online, practice against AI, or challenge friends locally. Explore unique boards, climb leaderboards, and customize your gameplay.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer matches, Offline AI practice mode, Local play with friends, 12 unique board designs, Rankings and competitions, Customizable avatars and checkers, Random dice rolls

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

**In-app purchases (27)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Donat | $0.29 | one-time |
| 3K Backgammon Empire Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Donat | $1.99 | one-time |
| 5 Backgammon Empire Gems | $2.99 | one-time |
| 10K Backgammon Empire Coins | $2.99 | one-time |
| Seasonal Avatar Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Backgammon Empire Set 1 Discount | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 Backgammon Empire Gems Pack | $5.49 | one-time |
| 25K Backgammon Empire Coins | $5.99 | one-time |
| Reaction Unlock Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| 15 Backgammon Empire Gems Pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Donat | $7.99 | one-time |
| Unique avatars pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| Backgammon Empire Set 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ad-Free Upgrade Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 50K Backgammon Empire Coins | $10.99 | one-time |
| 30 Backgammon Empire Gems Pack | $14.99 | one-time |
| 50 Backgammon Empire Gems Pack | $23.99 | one-time |
| Backgammon Empire Set 2 | $23.99 | one-time |
| 150K Backgammon Empire Coins | $27.99 | one-time |
| 100 Backgammon Empire Gems | $45.99 | one-time |
| Backgammon Empire Set 3 | $47.99 | one-time |
| 150 Backgammon Empire Gems | $64.99 | one-time |
| 500K Backgammon Empire Coins | $69.99 | one-time |
| 300 Backgammon Empire Gems | $119.99 | one-time |
| 2.5M Backgammon Empire Coins | $129.99 | one-time |
| Backgammon Empire Set 4 | $139.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Engaging gameplay
- 🌟 Pleasing graphics
- 🌐 Convenient online play
- 🤝 Challenging opponents
- 🕹️ Smooth controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎲 Questionable dice rolls
- 🔒 Pay-to-win mechanics
- 🕰️ Slow matchmaking
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Repeated opponent moves

**Reported bugs**

- Game freezes or crashes during play
- Pieces not moving as expected
- Incorrect dice rolls or move validation
- Opponent timeouts and connection issues
- Inconsistent performance across devices

**Requested features**

- Add doubling cube functionality
- Implement a scorecard feature
- Improve customization options for boards, pieces, and avatars
- Enhance the online matchmaking system
- Introduce a friends/social feature to play with contacts


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hardwood Backgammon free?

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

### Is Backgammon Online free?

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

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

Hardwood Backgammon is rated higher. Hardwood Backgammon averages 4.3 out of 5 from 166 ratings, while Backgammon Online averages 4.1 from 142 ratings.

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

Both Hardwood Backgammon and Backgammon Online show ads.

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

Hardwood Backgammon ships an update every 2 months, and Backgammon Online weekly. Most recently, Hardwood Backgammon was updated on October 23, 2026 and Backgammon Online on October 30, 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.*