Bridge Platforms, Software & Apps
Apps allow you to play on your phone or other mobile device with no need to connect to the internet. Online platforms offer bridge play with humans or robots and include simple solitaire games to bridge clubs and tournaments, but they require data or wifi. Software can also provide online play, but because it resides on your computer you can play offline when you need to.
Our sister site, GREAT BRIDGE LINKS, has many pages of links to Bridge Software, Apps, Online Bridge Clubs, and Solitaire Bridge.
Online Bridge Platforms
Popular bridge online platforms allow players to play against humans or robots. The beauty of these platforms is you can pull out your phone anytime anywhere and play a few hands. Practice your game on the go! With most of these apps you can play in a variety of games, formats, and even tournaments.
Bridge Base Online : Android and iOS. Connects to BBO servers. This is the world’s most popular online bridge offering – you can play against people or robots. Choose Solitaire or Competitive to play with robots in various types, and lenghts, of games.
Funbridge iPhone, iPad and Android mobiles and tablets and as well, you can play it on your Mac and Windows computers. No matter what device you log in from, the game or tournament you’re playing will continue. Federation and WBF Robot Bridge Tournaments, 13+ languages.
IntoBridge This is one of our favourite online bridge platforms – you access it through a browser so it will play on any device. You can play single hands using the Ranked Game feature. Rolling over bids will reveal their meaning. It’s brilliant!
Play & Learn Bridge Apps
Apps are a great way to learn the game of bridge or upgrade your skills. No need for data – you can play right on your phone while on the road.
Tricky Bridge – This is an APP that will help you Learn Bridge, Play Bridge, Compete. Tricky Bridge makes it fun (and free!) for absolute beginners to learn bridge: rules, bidding, and strategy. Learn solo, at your own pace through 37 lessons, competitions, and challenges. Tricky Bridge has no pop-up advertisements, so you’ll enjoy uninterrupted learning. Because this is an app, not an online platform, You can play offline.
BridgeBee is a bridge trainer app with a difference. A hybrid between a bridge lesson and an interactive AI-guided chatbot, this could be one of the best ways to inspire players and hone skills. It could do for bridge education what DuoLingo and its owl mascot has done for language learning.
Bridge Doddle – This is a ‘flashcard’ app that presents bridge problems and provides informative instructional answers. Available for iOS. You can choose from more than 250 different in-apps, each system, each skill – in seven different languages. It now includes the new sets for SAYC, Better Minor, ACOL (3 different styles), 2/1, Precision and Forum D 2012 – the most current five-card-major-system of the German Bridge Association. New card sets are produced on a regular basis. Also available for Android
LearnBridge
Designed for beginners, LearnBridge offers lessons and practice questions to teach bridge fundamentals. The app functions offline, enabling users to study and practice anywhere. Available on Google Play and the App Store.
iBridgePlus
iBridgePlus offers various game modes, including tutorials and practice hands. The app functions offline, allowing users to play and learn bridge without an internet connection. Available on the App Store.
Audrey Grant’s Better Bridge
This app provides lessons and practice hands based on Audrey Grant’s teaching methods. It supports offline play, enabling users to learn and practice bridge without an internet connection. Available on the App Store.
The World’s Top Bridge Playing Software
The software companies listed below play annually in a World Bridge Software Championships. These companies are at the forefront of robot/ai development in the field of bridge. Software is downloaded, and can be played on your computer without the need for wifi.
Bridge Baron, USA : Silver Medal 2007. Bronze Medal 2010.
Bridge Baron Bridge Software. Bridge Baron participates annual in Computer Bridge World Championships where it has historically reached top positions: 1997: 1, 1998: 4, 1999: 7, 2000: 5, 2001: 5, no entry in 2002, 2, in 2003 and 2004. More recently it earned Silver in 2017, Bronze in 2016, and Bronze in 2014. Bridge Baron is available for Mac as well as Windows.
Website: www.bridgebaron.com
Jack : Bronze Medal 2007. Silver Medal 2008. Gold Medal 2009. Gold Medal 2010. Bronze 2011. Gold 2012. Gold 2015.
Jack is the a times World Computer Bridge Championships Gold medalist – 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2015. Jack has not entered the championships since. Praised for its user friendliness. A good review of Jack can be found on Computer Bridge here ->
Website: www.jackbridge.com
Micro Bridge, Japan : Silver 2014. Bronze 2015. Silver 2016. Bronze 2017. Silver 2018.
Micro Bridge has participated in all the ACBL Computer Bridge World Championships. Although the Japanese have yet to win gold, Micro Bridge is always a top-finisher.
Website: http://www.osk.3web.ne.jp/~mcbridge/
Q-Plus Bridge, Germany : Bronze Medal, 2007, Silver Medal 2011. Bronze 2012. Bronze 2015. 4th 2018.
In the early years of computer bridge Bridge King (predecessor of Q-Plus) participated in the Computer Bridge World Championships where it finished 3 in 1991, 1 in 1992, 3 in 1993. Q-Plus Bridge participated in Computer Bridge World Championships where it reached the following positions: 1997: 2, 1998: 2, 1999: 5, 2000: 2, 2001: 4, 2002: 5, 2003: 5, 2004: 5, 2005: 3, 2006: 4. 2018 Bronze. QPlus is one of the oldest Bridge Programs. The total development time (since its start in 1990) is now approximately 22.000 hours.
Website: www.q-plus.com
WBridge5, France: Gold Medal 2005, 2007 & 2008. Silver 2009. Silver 2010. Bronze 2011. Silver 2012. Bronze 2014. Silver 2015. Gold 2016 Gold 2017. Gold 2018.
WBridge5 won the World Championships for the first time in 2005. WBridge5 had already been very close to the Computer Bridge World Championship title for a few times before that, losing a final to Jack by 1 IMP in 2002, losing a chance in 2003 when Bridge Baron pulled a stunt and WBridge5 didn’t make the final by just a few points. In 2005 WBridge won its first Gold. In the final, which was broadcast live on Bridge Base Online, 4-time reigning World Champion Jack was defeated. Since then WBridge is always in the top 4, and is the reigning champions winning gold in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Wbridge5 as the machine used in FunBridge (now GoToBridge) and is also available for online play on sites Bridge Now and BridgeEZ. \
Website: http://www.wbridge5.com/
Meadowlark Bridge, USA.
Entered in the 2018 championships where it placed 9th and in the 2019 Championships where it withdrew before the completion of the round robin. Meadowlark Bridge is being developed by Rodney Ludgwig, rod@fmendoscopy.com
Synrey Bridge, China. Silver 2017. Bronze 2018.
Synrey Bridge made it’s appearance on the international stage in 2016 and won Silver against WBridge5. Website features an App recently ported into English. You can now play online with Synrey Bridge read about that here ->
Website: http://www.synrey.com/root.html
Robo Bridge, The Netherlands. 2017, 3rd. 2019, 5th.
Robo Bridge has participated in the World Championships a few times now, winning a Bronze medal last year. RoboBridge is also a web-based online Play Against the Robots.
Website: http://www.robobridge.com/
Shark Bridge, Denmark. Gold 2014, Bronze 2016.
Shark Bridge has been around for a while and continues to develop its software and interfaces. It’s available as an app or as software.
Website: http://www.sharkbridge.info/