# Mini Chess vs Chess Royale

Mini Chess and Chess Royale both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 83% of Mini Chess's written reviews are positive against 60% of Chess Royale's. Mini Chess also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Chess Royale's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 345). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mini Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Mini Chess against 4.5 for Chess Royale. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 345, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Mini Chess's written reviews are positive against 60% of Chess Royale's.

Mini Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Chess Royale every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mini Chess | Chess Royale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (345 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-quick-chess/id1048990809/reviews)** | [4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 345 | **20K** |
| Positive reviews | **82.9% of reviews** | 59.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 29 MB | 473 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OutOfTheBit Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/286210012) | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) |

## What reviewers say

### Mini Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-quick-chess/id1048990809)

Enjoy a simplified, faster version of chess on your mobile device. Play against AI or a friend on a smaller board with fewer pieces. Ideal for beginners and quick matches.

**Highlights:** Simplified 6x6 chessboard, Fewer pieces (no knights/bishops), Play against 3 AI levels, Local multiplayer mode, Quick matches, Beginner-friendly

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced, quick gameplay
- 👍 Easy to learn and beginner-friendly
- 🎮 Addictive and fun
- 💡 Innovative simplified chess concept
- ⚙️ Multiple difficulty levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Check notification animation interrupts gameplay flow
- 😴 Gets repetitive and stale quickly
- 🤖 AI makes too many mistakes, even on hard mode
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads
- ⚖️ Unfair perpetual check mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Checkmate declared incorrectly with viable moves available
- Queen positioned on wrong color
- AI allows illegal moves to prevent player from winning
- Stalemate not handled correctly
- Perpetual check rules unfairly favor opponent

**Requested features**

- Add Knights and Bishops to piece options
- Alternative piece combinations (2 Rooks + 2 Bishops)
- Randomized starting positions
- Landscape mode for iPad
- Random color assignment (white/black alternation)


### Chess Royale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250)

Engage in the classic game of chess with millions worldwide. This app offers AI challenges, multiplayer matches, and extensive training tools including puzzles and post-game analysis to improve your strategic skills.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Chess puzzles, Post-game analysis, Beginner and advanced training, Multiple game modes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Vip | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Vip | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Vip | $39.99 | per year |
| Tiny Coins Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Gems Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Reserve 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gems Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 Seamless matchmaking
- 💡 Helpful chess lessons and puzzles
- 🤩 Great for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and disruptive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Long wait times between games due to ads
- 🤖 Suspicion of playing against bots instead of real players

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect puzzle solutions being marked as wrong
- Game losses due to connection issues or app freezes
- Inconsistent trophy/ranking system
- Inability to report cheating or suspicious behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to play longer timed games
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- More advanced chess analysis and training features
- Improved matchmaking to pair players of similar skill levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mini Chess free?

Mini Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess Royale free?

Chess Royale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mini Chess or Chess Royale?

Mini Chess is rated higher. Mini Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 345 ratings, while Chess Royale averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.

### Do Mini Chess or Chess Royale have ads?

Both Mini Chess and Chess Royale show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mini Chess or Chess Royale?

Mini Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Most recently, Mini Chess was updated on September 18, 2026 and Chess Royale on September 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*