The big servers:

These two servers are where you will find the most people at any time.

Fox

It is my favorite server. I like its appearance. There are thousands of players on at any time. At its busiest, I have seen up to 40 to 50 thousand people simultaneously. The style on this server is generally fight oriented. They like to cut everything. I recommend something other than this site to a new player. The lower ranks of this server are all over the place, and finding a good game for your skill level might be challenging. If you are a Dan level player, this is the best server.

Tygem

Tygem is the 2nd biggest server. There are around 5,000 to 10,000 players or more on average. I’m not a fan of this server, primarily because of the board. It is very bright and hurts my eyes when looking at it for too long. This server is still aggressive, but the fundamentals and endgame are better than Fox. The lower ranks are very random, so it’s harder to find a good game if you’re a newer player. It is an excellent server for Dan level players.  

Medium servers:

These servers are smaller than the two above. But they have their own styles and vibe.

IGS

This server is one of the best looking servers. It typically has around 1000 people on at the same time. The style on this server is very different. Generally, the players on this server like to make big moyos and play a very influential style. I would also not play on this server if you are a beginner. The lower ranks are very random.

Wbaduk

This server has an old feel. It hasn’t been updated graphically in a long time. Some people have had issues creating an account and getting it to work. There are around 1,000-2,000 people on at a time. This server is known as the easy server. You can get a very high rank that you might not be able to get on any other server. Avoid this server if you are new to the game.

Small servers:

These servers have far fewer players, but they have many other pros that make them much better than the others in many ways.

KGS

Kgs is very old looking but very practical. It is one of my favorite servers to use. It has a great SGF editor that I use to teach. The style on this server is very textbook. They don’t do so well if you play in a style more commonly seen on Fox and Tygem. It is the best server if you are an SDK(9kyu-1kyu). There are often many players in these ranks. If you are a Dan level player, you might struggle to get games.

OGS

OGS has a very modern look and is a browser-based server. This server is probably the most beginner friendly. With this server, it is tough to get games as your rank increases. But it has some features you can’t find anywhere else. One of my favorites is linking your games. You can copy the link and send it to someone; they can click it to watch your game or help you review it.

Unusual but fun servers:

These servers are much different from others but can be fun.

Playok

It is a website with many different games, and Go is one of them. It has more people than OGS does most of the time. The level is relatively high at the top. It is a good place to get games as a beginner. It is not uncommon to play against some unfriendly people who might use the server’s rules against you to win a game. It also has a rank system where you are ranked from 0 to 3000 or higher. 700 would be new players who have played a few games.

FlyorDie

It is another website with many games, including Go. This site is also more active than OGS. When you make moves, they have fun little animations. You can turn these off if you don’t like them. They also have their own ranking system: 0 to about 600. 100 is around where a beginner would be.

Play on your phone:

Some of the other servers have apps for your phone as well. For IGS, there is Pandanet. Tygem has one as well.

BadukPop

It started as more of a tsumego type app, but they also added playing games. Nine-by-nine games are common, but you can also play on different sized boards. It is an excellent app for beginners, with short tutorials on how to play.

What servers are your favorites?