A Spades app puts a game in your pocket: on your lunch break, in the waiting room, or when the crew can’t get together. But the biggest Spades apps aren’t simple card games. Most run on virtual coins or chips, with ads and in-app purchases, and they differ a lot in which variants you can play and whether you can set up a private game.
I went through the main Spades apps for iPhone and Android and checked their modes, rules, ratings and costs. Here are the three worth installing, plus a free option if you’d rather not install anything.
Our pick, with nothing to install: Tableza. Free partnership Spades to 500 with Nil and bags, a computer at three levels, hints on easy and private tables for your crew. It runs in your phone’s browser, with no coins, no chips and nothing to download.
The 3 best Spades apps compared
| Spades Plus | VIP Spades | Spades Royale | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | A big community and tournaments | Variants, and practice | Live games and rewards |
| Made by | Zynga | Casualino | Beach Bum |
| App Store rating | 4.7 (about 185,000 ratings) | 4.9 (about 9,800 ratings) | 4.8 (about 173,000 ratings) |
| Modes | Partners, Solo, Whiz, Mirror | Pairs, Solo, Suicide, Whiz, Mirror | Partners, 2-player, Solo |
| Blind Nil | Yes, table option | Yes, can be turned off | Yes |
| Vs the computer | Not listed | Yes, Free Training | Not listed |
| Private tables | Yes, invite only | Yes | Not listed |
| Browser version | Not listed | Yes | Not listed |
| Costs | Coins from $0.99 to $21.99 | Chips from $4.99 to $99.99; VIP $9.99/month | Packages from $0.99 to $99.99 |
| App Store age rating | 13+ | 18+ | 13+ |
| Our review | Spades Plus review | VIP Spades review | Spades Royale review |
All three are free to download on iPhone, iPad and Android.
No download needed: Tableza
Before the apps, one option that skips the app store. Tableza is a free classic games site that works in your phone’s browser, with standard partnership Spades.
- Spades to 500, with Nil and a 100-point penalty for every 10 bags
- A computer at three levels, and a hint button on easy that suggests your bid and your card
- Public games, and private tables for your partner and friends
- Free, with no coins or chips, and nothing to install
It doesn’t have Blind Nil or the solo variants. Read our Tableza Spades review.
Play Spades on Tableza
Practise against the computer or invite your partner and friends to a private table, on desktop or mobile.
Play free on Tableza →Free to play · No download
1. Spades Plus: best overall Spades app
Spades Plus is Zynga’s free Spades app, with a 4.7-star average from about 185,000 App Store ratings, the most of any Spades app we checked.
What you get
- Classic and VIP partnership games, Solo, Whiz and Mirror
- Invite-only private tables where you choose the mode, the target score, and whether Nil and Blind Nil are allowed
- 16-player tournaments and Knock-Out challenges
- Friends lists and chat
- A welcome bonus and a daily login bonus in coins
Marcus’s take: It has the most ratings of any Spades app we checked, and invite-only tables let your crew play by its own rules. Know what you’re getting into, though: tables are played for coins, the app sells more coins from $0.99, there are ads, and it needs an internet connection. Some reviewers say they feel pushed to buy coins.
Download: App Store · Google Play. Read our full Spades Plus review.
2. VIP Spades: best for variants and practice
VIP Spades by Casualino has a 4.9-star average from about 9,800 App Store ratings. It also runs in any web browser.
What you get
- Pairs, Solo (Cutthroat), Suicide, Whiz and Mirror, plus a Joker-Joker-Ace option
- Free Training against the computer
- Private games where the host sets the score limits, jokers, Nil and Blind Nil
- Clubs and a global chat
- Daily rewards, and chips earned by winning
Marcus’s take: If your crew plays Suicide or Mirror, this is the app, and it’s the only one of the three that lets you practise against the computer. The downside is the money side: games have chip entry fees, chip packs go up to $99.99, VIP costs $9.99 a month, and the App Store rates it 18+.
Download: App Store · Google Play · Browser. Read our full VIP Spades review.
3. Spades Royale: best for live games and rewards
Spades Royale by Beach Bum has a 4.8-star average from about 173,000 App Store ratings.
What you get
- Partners, 2-player and Solo (Cutthroat) modes
- Nil and Blind Nil
- Live games against players worldwide, with chat
- Leaderboards, challenges, levels and Royal Gems
- Free coin bonuses every hour and every day
Marcus’s take: It’s built for quick live games with plenty of rewards, and it’s the only one of the three with a 2-player mode. But it doesn’t list private tables or play against the computer, packages go up to $99.99, and the App Store listing mentions loot boxes.
Download: App Store · Google Play. Read our full Spades Royale review.
A word on coins and chips
All three apps are free to download, but they’re built around virtual currency. You play tables for coins or chips, you get free top-ups every day, and you can buy more, with packs up to $99.99 on VIP Spades and Spades Royale. Spades Plus and Spades Royale list simulated gambling in their App Store age ratings, and VIP Spades is rated 18+. Spades Plus says it doesn’t offer real-money gambling.
If you’d rather just play cards, Tableza and World of Card Games both work in your phone’s browser, for free, with no coins at all.
How to choose
Do you play Suicide, Whiz or Mirror?
VIP Spades has them all as ready-made modes. Spades Plus has Whiz and Mirror.
Want to practice against the computer?
VIP Spades is the only one of the three with Free Training. Tableza has three levels and hints, in your browser.
Playing with your own crew?
Spades Plus and VIP Spades have private tables with your own rules. Spades Royale doesn’t list them.
Only two of you?
Spades Royale has a 2-player mode. See our 2-Player Spades rules.
Want to avoid coins and ads?
Choose Tableza in your phone’s browser.
The bottom line
Spades Plus is the best all-round Spades app, with the most ratings, invite-only tables and tournaments. VIP Spades is the pick for variants and for practice against the computer, and Spades Royale suits players who want quick live games and rewards. If you’d rather skip the coins and chips, play free on Tableza in your phone’s browser.
Playing on a computer instead? See our Top 3 Best Online Spades Sites, or brush up with our Spades Rules.
FAQ
What is the best Spades app?
Spades Plus, for its large community, invite-only tables and tournaments. VIP Spades is better for variants and practice.
Is there a free Spades app without coins?
All three of the big Spades apps we reviewed use coins or chips. To play free with no coins, use Tableza or World of Card Games in your phone’s browser.
Which Spades app has Suicide Spades?
VIP Spades.
Can I play Spades against the computer on my phone?
Yes, with VIP Spades’ Free Training, or on Tableza in your browser, with three levels.
Can I play Spades with friends on an app?
Yes. Spades Plus has invite-only tables, and VIP Spades has private games. Spades Royale lets you invite Facebook friends.
Are these Spades apps on Android?
Yes. All three are on iPhone, iPad and Android.
