# Mini Chess vs Chess Only

The clearest difference is rating: Mini Chess at 4.6 against Chess Only's 4.0. Mini Chess also leads on ratings volume (345 vs 29). Chess Only's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mini Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Only asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mini Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mini Chess has 345 ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Mini Chess's written reviews are positive against 75% of Chess Only's.

Mini Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, Chess Only fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mini Chess | Chess Only |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (345 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-quick-chess/id1048990809/reviews)** | [4.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-only/id1569045693/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **345** | 29 |
| Positive reviews | **82.9% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 29 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OutOfTheBit Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/286210012) | [Young-Jo Song](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569045695) |

## 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 Only

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-only/id1569045693)

Enhance your chess skills with instant analysis and tactical puzzles. This app offers a human-like engine with adjustable difficulty and an evaluation bar with blunder alerts. Play and study without distractions, with features like move trial and PGN saving.

**Highlights:** Instant game analysis, Tactical puzzles, Human-like engine (Elo 400-2500), Evaluation bar with blunder alert, Try moves out of game play, PGN file saving, Over-the-board mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mini Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Only free?

Chess Only is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Mini Chess is rated higher. Mini Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 345 ratings, while Chess Only averages 4.0 from 29 ratings.

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

Mini Chess shows ads; Chess Only does not.

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

Mini Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess Only fortnightly. Most recently, Mini Chess was updated on October 1, 2026 and Chess Only on October 7, 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.*