(Original post by karakoro-san: https://note.com/karakorororo/n/ndfaa3eff963e)
A summary of info on the major shogi playing sites and apps.
Three versions: Java, HTML5, mobile app
It has a long history, and at its peak there were upwards of 5000 concurrent online players, but in recent years it feels like other apps have overtaken it. Now it averages around 1500-2500 online players.
There haven't been many feature updates, and the word "fossilised" fits perfectly. Even if you pay for the app version, just about all you can do with it is play games.
The player level is extremely high, and even a player at 0 points is pretty strong. The rating system isn't working. With a long history, it has become a sort of sanctified land. 7-dan (2700) and above players here will probably find no other place to give them a serious challenge.
Two versions: browser, mobile app
Now the most popular. It's evolved towards entertainment; with numerous avatars and flashy effects it's become popular. It has succeeded in opening up to the beginner ranks, and the number of new players has clearly gone up.
With how popular it's become, it's unrivalled. There are feature restrictions; for instance, browsing kifu requires a subscription. Concurrent players number about 4000-5000.
The player level is varied. From beginners to professionals, the strength varies widely. Right now rank deflation is occurring, and to become 5-dan in 10-minute shogi without using Kishin is difficult even for a professional.
(Shogi Wars profile of 5-dan professional Itou Shingo, itoshinTV)
Even itoshinTV is 4-dan in 10-minute shogi.
Two versions: browser, mobile app
Completely free. The next most popular after Shogi Wars, with around 2000 concurrent users. For features, there's nothing much to write home about.
The player level ranges from beginner to professional. Compared to Shogi Wars, the playerbase is thinner.
Two versions: PC and mobile app
Completely free. Around 1000 concurrent users. Unusually feature-rich for a shogi site. On the flip side, the UI is unintuitive and hard to grasp.
The player level ranges from beginners to just short of high-dan. There are scarcely any players of the calibre of Shogi Club 24 6-dan (>2500) or Shogi Wars 3-minute 6-dan and above.
~translated by Illion
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