Spades is a four-person game, and getting four people around the same table on the same night isn’t easy once the crew grows up and moves away. Online, you can still play: against the computer when it’s late, with strangers when you want a challenge, or with your regular partner from the other side of the country.
I looked at the main places to play Spades in your browser and checked how each one plays the game: Nil, bags, the target score, and what you can change. Here are the three I’d send you to.
Best pick: Tableza. Free partnership Spades to 500, with Nil and bags, a computer at three levels, a hint button on easy that suggests your bid and your card, and private tables for your crew. Nothing to download, on desktop or mobile.
The 3 best Spades sites compared
| Tableza | World of Card Games | Trickster Cards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Learning, and free private tables | A quick game, no signup | Your own house rules |
| Price | Free | Free, with ads | Free, short ad before each game; VIP from $5.99/month |
| Vs the computer | Yes, 3 levels, with hints on easy | Yes, bots | Suggestions from its bot |
| Private tables | Yes | Yes, bots fill empty seats | Yes, with video chat |
| Nil / Blind Nil | Nil only | Nil (Blind Nil not mentioned) | Both, with options |
| Bag penalty | 10 bags = −100 | 10 bags = −100, can be turned off | Your choice |
| Target score | 500 | 500, or out at −200 | Your choice, 100 to 1,000 in private games |
| Variants | Partnership only | Partnership only | Partnership, Cutthroat, Suicide, Whiz, Mirror and more |
| Our review | Tableza review | World of Card Games review | Trickster Cards review |
1. Tableza: best overall
Tableza is a free classic games site with 12 games, including Spades, Hearts and Euchre. Its Spades is the classic four-handed partnership game.
What you get
- Partnership Spades to 500: 10 points per trick bid, 1 per extra trick, and −10 per trick if you’re set
- Nil worth 100 either way, and a 100-point penalty for every 10 bags
- A computer at three levels; on hard, it protects its partner’s Nil
- A hint button on easy that suggests your bid and your card
- On-screen tracking of contracts, Nil bids, bags and whether spades are broken
- Public games, and private tables for your partner and friends
- Free, on desktop or mobile, with nothing to download
Marcus’s take: This is where I’d send anyone learning the game, or teaching someone else. Comparing your bid with the suggested bid on easy is a simple way to learn how to count your tricks. It sticks to standard rules, so if your table plays Blind Nil, you’ll want one of the other two.
Read our full 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
2. World of Card Games: best for a quick game, no signup
World of Card Games is a free card games site with 18 classics. By its own count, about 8.5 million games of Spades have been played there.
What you get
- Partnership Spades to 500, and the game also ends if a team falls to −200
- Nil worth 100 either way, and a 100-point penalty for every 10 bags
- You’re playing against bots as soon as the page loads, with no signup
- Live players and ranked tables (after 10 finished games with an account)
- Private tables by invite link, with bots filling empty seats and the option to turn the bag penalty off
- About 27 minutes a game, according to the site
Marcus’s take: When you want a game right now and don’t feel like signing up for anything, this is the fastest route. It’s also the easiest way to keep a game going when your crew is one short, as the bots take the empty seat. It shows ads, and it doesn’t mention Blind Nil.
Read our full World of Card Games Spades review.
3. Trickster Cards: best for house rules and playing with friends
Trickster Cards is a free trick-taking games platform with Spades, Hearts, Euchre, Pinochle and more. It works on phones, tablets and computers, all in the same game.
What you get
- Almost every house rule as a setting: Blind Nil, Nil passes, minimum bids, when spades can be led, a mercy rule, 10-for-200 and more
- Bag penalty and target score of your choice
- Partnership, Cutthroat, Suicide, Whiz, Mirror and joker variants
- Private games with free video and voice chat
- Suggestions showing what its bot would play
- Free, with a short ad before each game; VIP Pass from $5.99 a month for ad-free play and extras
Marcus’s take: If your crew has spent years arguing over whether you can lead spades on the first trick, Trickster lets you settle it in the settings. Add video chat, and it’s the nearest thing to the kitchen table when everyone’s in different cities. Setting up all those options takes a minute the first time.
Read our full Trickster Cards review.
Other options
- VIP Spades: plays in your browser as well as on phones, with ready-made Solo, Suicide, Whiz and Mirror modes and free training against the computer. It runs on chips and a VIP subscription, so it’s in our apps ranking instead.
- On your phone? See our Top 3 Best Spades Apps, including Spades Plus and Spades Royale.
How to choose
Are you learning?
Start on Tableza against the easy computer, and use the hint button to check your bids. Our Spades Bidding Explained guide goes well with it.
Want a game right now?
World of Card Games has you playing within seconds, without an account.
Does your table have its own rules?
If you play Blind Nil, a minimum bid, or no bag penalty, Trickster lets you set it up exactly. World of Card Games can also turn the bag penalty off at private tables.
Playing Cutthroat, Suicide, Whiz or Mirror?
Trickster has them as rule options, and VIP Spades has them as ready-made modes. See our Cutthroat Spades and Suicide Spades rules.
Playing with your crew from far away?
Tableza and World of Card Games have free private tables. Trickster adds video chat.
The bottom line
For most players, Tableza is the place to start: standard partnership Spades to 500, a computer that grows with you, hints while you learn, and free private tables. Choose World of Card Games for a quick game with no signup, and Trickster Cards when your crew wants its own house rules and to see each other while you play.
New to the game? Read our Spades Rules first, then grab a seat.
FAQ
Where can I play Spades online for free?
Tableza and World of Card Games are free in your browser. Trickster Cards is free too, with a short ad before each game.
Can I play Spades online with friends?
Yes. All three sites have private tables. On World of Card Games, bots fill empty seats, and Trickster adds free video chat.
Can I play Spades against the computer?
Yes. Tableza has three levels with hints on easy, and World of Card Games starts you against bots as soon as the page loads.
Where can I play Spades with Blind Nil online?
Trickster Cards lets you turn Blind Nil on and choose when it’s allowed. VIP Spades also has Blind Nil.
Where can I play Cutthroat or Suicide Spades online?
Trickster Cards and VIP Spades both offer them.
Do I need to download anything?
No. All three sites work in your browser on desktop or mobile.
