SmartDartThe browser-based alternative to DartCounter
DartCounter (Target Darts) is strong at online play, game variety and caller atmosphere, and since July 2026 it also offers local tournaments (creating one requires Ultimate). SmartDart focuses on on-site events: 9 tournament formats, league and cup, clubs and a projector view, with a free base plan right in the browser. You can use both side by side.
Runs in the browser · Free · No app required
Free & browser-based
Tournament mode + projector
Solo vs AI bot, no limit
Over 7,000 matches across more than 400 completed tournaments — by more than 200 organisers, from the local pub to the hobby league (as of October 2026).
DartCounter is a darts app for solo training and online play in the Target Darts ecosystem, with announcer John McDonald and Target Omni board integration; since July 2026 it also offers local tournaments. SmartDart is tournament, league and club software for multiple players on-site. This page is not a takedown — it's an honest comparison of use cases. Many players use both in parallel. All DartCounter facts checked on dartcounter.net, in the App Store and on DartsWorld (as of 26 October 2026).
What DartCounter does very well
Before comparing — these are DartCounter's strengths, areas where SmartDart doesn't compete or has nothing equivalent.
Voice caller atmosphere
John McDonald announces the match, and with Ultimate the MasterCaller calls your name. Makes solo sessions emotional — SmartDart has no voice calling when you enter scores by hand.
Lots of game variants
8 game modes on the free tier, more with Ultimate such as 121 Checkout and Halve-It. Since June 2026 the DartBot also plays Around the Clock, Bob's 27, Halve-It and Shanghai, each level with its own playing style.
Online play and app experience
Native iOS and Android app with a worldwide online lobby, online tournaments and a ranked mode (beta, camera required). 3 online matches per week on the free tier, unlimited with Ultimate.
Local tournaments (since July 2026)
With Ultimate you create a knockout, group (round robin) or group + knockout tournament for 4 to 128 participants. Players join via code or QR code without a subscription; each match runs on its own device.
Target Omni integration
DartCounter works with the Target Omni auto-scoring board. If you own that board, you get real-time scoring without typing.
Action Replay clips
10 clips for 7 days on the free tier; with Ultimate up to 30 clips for 30 days, downloadable, with up to 10 permanent favourites. Useful for self-analysing your throws.
What SmartDart focuses on
SmartDart is built for on-site events: tournament, league, cup and club with multiple players, boards and a projector.
Tournament management with 9 formats
9 formats (Knockout, Groups + Knockout, consolation, Champions League, Double Elimination, Swiss, Round Robin, League and Team Match). BASIC: Knockout, Round Robin and Groups + Knockout · PRO: 6 formats · PREMIUM: all 9. Auto-bracket, fixtures and live standings.
League, cup and club
Team league with divisions, fixtures, digital match reports, standings, cup and a public portal on the LEAGUE plan — only the league pays. Darts clubs with members and teams from PRO.
Projector mode
PDC-style display for club nights, pub tournaments and league match days — bracket, live score, stats ticker at the bottom.
Bot with 20 levels
Quick Match against the AI bot in 20 levels, from starter (avg 15) to champion (avg 110) — unlimited, and playable without an account.
Runs in the browser
No app install, no app store, no account requirement for fellow players. Scan a QR code, score, done — works on iPhone too without an App Store account.
Free core features
Tournaments up to 10 players with 3 formats, projector, Quick Match vs. bot and checkout training — all on the free BASIC plan. PRO and PREMIUM only for more players, boards and formats, LEAGUE for full league management.
Direct comparison
The two tools pursue different goals — the comparison shows which one covers what.
| Criterion | SmartDart | DartCounter |
|---|---|---|
Pricing | BASIC free · PRO €4.99/mo · PREMIUM €9.99/mo · LEAGUE €49.99/mo for the whole league (yearly plans cheaper, cancel anytime) | Free tier · Ultimate subscription; the German App Store lists several price points from €3.99 to €5.99/mo or €29.99 to €39.99/year (October 2026) |
Platform | Browser (PWA-capable) on every device — no app store needed | Native iOS and Android app (App Store / Google Play) |
Tournament management | 9 formats (BASIC 3, PRO 6, PREMIUM all 9), auto-bracket, multiple boards, live standings, fixtures; tournaments already on the free BASIC plan | Local and online tournaments since July 2026: knockout, group, group + knockout, 4–128 participants. Creating requires Ultimate, joining a local tournament doesn't |
League and cup | Team league with divisions, match reports, standings, cup and public portal (LEAGUE plan) | No league management described on dartcounter.net |
Projector / TV mode | Included from BASIC — PDC-style with bracket, live score and stats ticker | No dedicated projector view described on dartcounter.net |
Multiple boards parallel | Multiple boards parallel per tournament (BASIC: 2, PRO and PREMIUM: unlimited) — each phone = one board | In local tournaments each match runs on its own device on any board |
Solo training | Checkout training (Beginner–Pro), 121 game, free Quick Match mode | 8 game modes free, more with Ultimate (incl. 121 Checkout, Halve-It) — core strength |
Play against AI bot | 20 levels (~15 to ~110 avg) — unlimited, also without an account | DartBot with its own playing style per level (since June 2026), also for training games; custom bot with Ultimate |
Automatic scoring | Camera scoring as an open beta in Quick Match (account required, 16+), detection on the device | Target Omni board; camera for ranked games |
Online multiplayer | No online lobby — strength lies in on-site tournaments; friends via friend code with head-to-head comparison (16+) | Worldwide online lobby, online tournaments, ranked (beta, camera required); free tier 3 online matches per week, Ultimate unlimited |
Use both in parallel — works well
DartCounter and SmartDart address different moments. Many players in our community use both depending on the situation:
Solo training at home, voice caller atmosphere and online 1v1: open DartCounter.
Club championship, league season, regulars cup: launch SmartDart.
Pub night with projector and bracket on the screen: SmartDart on the tablet, DartCounter optionally on the phone for personal stats.
Got Autodarts or Scolia? We run the tournament around it.
Camera auto-scoring like Autodarts.io or Scolia doesn't compete with SmartDart — it's the other half of the night: the hardware reads the throws at a single board, SmartDart runs the tournament around it, across as many boards as you like. Nothing to dismantle, nothing to migrate.
At the board nothing changes: your auto-scoring system keeps counting, including the display your players are used to.
SmartDart takes care of everything around it: bracket or league fixtures, board assignment, results, rankings and the PDC-style projector view.
Mixed nights are the norm: rarely does every board have cameras — on the others a player taps the scores in on their phone, and every result lands in the same table.
Frequently asked questions
What does DartCounter cost and what does SmartDart cost?
DartCounter has a free tier (3 online matches per week, 8 game modes, view of one previous game) and the Ultimate subscription. The German App Store lists several price points for it, from €3.99 to €5.99 per month or €29.99 to €39.99 per year (October 2026). SmartDart has four plans: BASIC permanently free with no match limit, PRO €4.99/mo (€49.99/year), PREMIUM €9.99/mo (€99.99/year) and LEAGUE €49.99/mo (€499.99/year) for a whole league, where teams and players pay nothing.
When do I pick DartCounter, when SmartDart?
DartCounter when you train solo at home, play online against others, use lots of game variants and like the caller atmosphere. SmartDart when you organise an on-site tournament with multiple players (club, pub, friends), run a league or cup, want to use a projector, or want to play an AI bot without a subscription.
Can I use both apps in parallel?
Yes, no problem. They overlap only partially and don't block each other. In clubs many players use DartCounter for personal tracking and SmartDart as event software for the championship.
Do I need an app to use SmartDart?
No. SmartDart runs in the browser on smartphone, tablet and PC. Optionally you can install it as a PWA (Progressive Web App) on the home screen — then it feels like a native app.
Can SmartDart fully replace DartCounter?
Not for online play, ranked and many training variants — those are DartCounter's core strengths, which SmartDart doesn't cover. Since July 2026 DartCounter also runs local tournaments, with Ultimate and three formats. SmartDart is the better choice if you need more formats, tournaments without a subscription, a projector view, a league with match reports and a cup, or a club.
Does SmartDart work with the Target Omni board?
There is no direct hardware integration between SmartDart and Target Omni — that connection is built into the DartCounter stack. SmartDart works with any steel or soft tip board: a player taps in the scores on the phone, and in Quick Match you can also use the camera (open beta). If you want hardware auto-scoring, you can run SmartDart in parallel with Omni and enter scores twice — or combine SmartDart with platform-independent hardware like Autodarts.io / Scolia.
Does SmartDart have a voice caller?
Not when you enter scores by hand. Camera scoring (open beta) can optionally announce booked throws through the device's speech output; there is no caller like DartCounter's. If you want the caller atmosphere, you can run DartCounter in parallel in solo mode.
Does DartCounter have a tournament format like SmartDart?
Yes, since July 2026: with DartCounter Ultimate you create local and online tournaments in knockout, group (round robin) or group + knockout format for 4 to 128 participants. In local tournaments players join via code or QR code without a subscription. SmartDart offers 9 formats, 3 of them on the free BASIC plan, plus a projector view, multiple boards per tournament, and league and cup.
What else SmartDart can do
Beyond Quick Match and Training, SmartDart is a complete darts platform for pubs, clubs and leagues.
Try the part you're missing
Run a tournament or play unlimited rounds against an AI bot — both run in the browser, both are free.
Or count the darts with the camera: open beta in Quick Match, with an account. Detection runs on your device.
Related SmartDart areas:
Built with ❤️ in Germany · GDPR-compliant hostingBuilt by a darts player who organises tournaments himself.