Both are real darts with real leagues. The difference is the board. Steel-tip darts go into a sisal bristle board, and soft-tip darts go into the small holes of an electronic board. Pick the board first and the darts follow.
| Steel-tip | Soft-tip | |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Sisal bristle, about 18 in across | Electronic, with plastic segments |
| Scoring | By hand (chalk or dry-erase) | Automatic |
| Typical dart weight | About 18 to 30 g, and most players use 20 to 26 g | About 16 to 20 g, and many boards set a top limit |
| Throw line | 7 ft 9.25 in | Often 8 ft |
| Noise | A quiet thud | Clicks, plus sound effects |
| Best for | Traditional play, pub leagues, practice | Families, groups, online play, easy scoring |
Choose steel-tip if...
You want the traditional game, you play or want to play in a steel-tip league, or you like the quiet and feel of a bristle board. A good board lasts years with rotation. You keep score yourself, which also sharpens your math for 501 checkouts. Start with our darts and dartboards picks.
Choose soft-tip if...
You have kids around or mixed-skill groups, or you'd rather the board handle scoring. Soft tips are kinder to walls and floors. Connected boards like the Gran Board add online play. The tradeoffs are broken tips (keep a bag of spares) and needing power. See our electronic dartboard picks.
Can you use one on the other?
Don't throw steel-tip darts at an electronic board. They will damage it. Some darts can switch between steel and soft points with conversion points, but it's simpler to keep separate sets.
Next: how to choose dart weight and grip.
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