First, a word of transparency
I build Score Darts. So you're reading a comparison written by someone with a direct stake in the topic. You should know that before reading any further.
My promise for this article: I give you verified facts (exact pricing, real platforms, features that actually exist today — not the ones from an old version), I won't hide Score Darts' limitations, and I let you pick the tool that fits you — including if it isn't mine.
To make this article useful, I've skipped the usual "best darts app" approach (often biased) and used a player-profile approach instead. Below are 7 of the most used darts scoring apps in 2026, compared on data verified from their official websites.
The 5 criteria that really matter
Every app out there can score a 501. The real differences show up in five areas, often invisible until you've tested several of them.
1. Input speed
During a night with friends, nobody wants to spend their time on a phone. The right app is the one that requires the fewest taps per throw. On a typical leg: 30 turns × 3 darts = 90 inputs. Multiply by 3 legs a night and you get 270 micro-interactions. A clumsy input kills the fun.
2. Truly free or disguised freemium
"Free" sometimes hides a lot: intrusive ads, weekly game limits (DartCounter caps free online play to 3 matches per week, for example), a $30-40/year subscription to unlock the bot. Read the fine print, not just the "Free" badge on the store.
3. Mobile-first or desktop-first
If you play at home with your dartboard on the wall, you reach for your phone, not your laptop. Beware of apps designed for desktop or wide tablets (often imitating TV-style scoring screens): they're rarely good on a real vertical phone usage.
4. Depth of statistics
If you just want to count and finish the leg, basic stats are enough. If you want to seriously improve, you need a lot more: first-9 average, doubles percentage, big triples, leg-by-leg tracking, historical comparisons. Identify your level of demand before picking an app.
5. The "little extra"
This is what makes the difference long-term. For some it's a pro caller's voice (Russ Bray for Russ Bray Darts Scorer, Ray Martin for DartCounter, Kirk Bevins for My Dart Training). For others it's online play with webcam (Lidarts, DartConnect). For competitors, it's official PDC/WDF tournament integration (DartConnect). Identify what would make you come back every day.
The factual comparison of the 7 apps
Data verified on the official websites in June 2026. No made-up stars, no arbitrary scores: just facts. Scroll horizontally if needed.
| Criterion | Score Darts | DartCounter | DartConnect | Lidarts | Russ Bray | n01 | My Dart Training |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Web (mobile-first) | iOS, Android, Web | Web only | Web only | iOS, Android, Mac, Win | Win, iOS, Web | iOS, Mac, Android |
| Model | 100% free | Freemium | Freemium | Free & libre | One-time | Freeware | Freemium |
| Paid price | — | $30-40/an | $2/mois | — | $7,99 | $2,99 (iOS) | $6,99 |
| Ads | ❌ | ? | ? | ❌ | ? | ❌ | ✅ (free) |
| Bot / AI | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ 3 niv. | ✅ 9 niv. | ✅ 20 niv. | ✅ 12 niv. | ✅ 15 niv. |
| Online play | ❌ | ✅ (3/week free) | ✅ | ✅ + webcam | ✅ | ✅ (legacy) | ❌ |
| Official voice | ❌ | Ray Martin | ? | ✅ | Russ Bray | ❌ | Kirk Bevins |
| Stats | Basic | Detailed | Detailed | Minimal | Detailed | Basic | Detailed |
| Tournaments / Leagues | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ PDC/WDF | Partial | ✅ | ✅ 160k+ | ❌ |
| Languages | FR + EN | EN | ? | 15 (FR) | EN | EN + JP | EN + DE |
| Maintained | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | 🟡 slow (beta) | ✅ | ⚠️ frozen | ✅ |
Sources: official websites, App Store, Google Play, project GitHubs. Data verified in June 2026.
Which app for which player?
Here are 6 player profiles, and for each one, the tool I'd objectively recommend — including when it isn't Score Darts.
🎯 The Saturday-night player
Profile : You play 2-3 times a month, with friends, in your garden in the summer or at the pub. You want to score quickly, without installing a new app, without creating an account.
Recommendation : Score Darts (loads in 3 seconds on any phone, guest mode, modern design) or Russ Bray Darts Scorer if you're willing to pay $7.99 for the official PDC referee voice.
📈 The serious player who wants to improve
Profile : You have a board at home, you play several times a week, you want to identify your weaknesses and work on them.
Recommendation : My Dart Training for training exercises — the most complete catalogue on the market: Bob 27, Around the Clock, 121 Checkout, Shanghai, Halve-It, Killer, and many more. Or DartCounter for its customisable bot and very detailed statistics.
🏆 The club competitor
Profile : You belong to a darts club, you play in leagues, you want scoring that integrates with certified tournaments.
Recommendation : DartConnect (official PDC/WDF partner, scoring for Players Championship events) at $2/month — unbeatable on this segment. Or the n01darts.com platform, which still hosts 160,000+ organised tournaments.
🌐 The online-play enthusiast
Profile : You want to face players from around the world, ideally with a webcam for the live-match feel.
Recommendation : Lidarts (free, with Jitsi Meet webcam integration) or DartConnect ($2/month, more polished, with built-in VideoConnect and global matchmaking).
💸 The anti-paywall, anti-ads player
Profile : You don't want ads, you don't want a subscription, you don't want hidden limits. You just want to play.
Recommendation : Score Darts (no ads, no paywall, play as a guest without even creating an account) or Lidarts (free, open source, ad-free — but still in beta with few features).
🎯 The electronic-board player
Profile : You play on an electronic dartboard (Bull's, Granboard, Unicorn) and want to track your performance without re-entering everything manually.
Recommendation : Score Darts has a dedicated "Dart Zone Tracker" mode built for fast input on electronic boards. To my knowledge, it's the only web scoring app that offers this mode specifically.
And where does Score Darts fit in?
Score Darts exists because I never found a tool that fit my Saturday-night sessions around the dartboard: too many apps to ask guests to install, too many accounts to create, too many ads, or too much paywall on basic features. So I built what I was missing.
The 4 real strengths
- 100% free, no ads, no subscription, no feature locked behind a paywall.
- Available in English and French out of the box (most competitors are English-only).
- No install: it's a website that works on any modern smartphone.
- "Dart Zone Tracker" mode for electronic boards, which I haven't seen elsewhere.
The 4 real limitations (which I own)
- No bot opponent: if you want to play solo against an AI, Russ Bray (20 levels) or DartCounter are ahead.
- No online multiplayer: if you want to play against humans around the world in real time, check Lidarts (free) or DartConnect ($2/month).
- No structured training exercises: if that's your main goal, My Dart Training is unmatched.
- Stats less detailed than the pro tier: for deep performance tracking, DartCounter or DartConnect are more complete.
My commitment : Score Darts will stay free, ad-free, and without excessive data collection. I'd rather ship a useful and simple product than a feature-bloated one. If you want a specific feature, write to me: I read everything.
Frequently asked questions
In summary
No darts scoring app is "the best" in absolute terms. The right choice depends on your profile: how often you play, where, with whom, on what budget. If you just want to score quickly and cleanly on your phone, with nothing to install, Score Darts is worth a try. And if it's not you, this comparison will hopefully have pointed you to better leads elsewhere.
