Comparison

Chess Board vs Board Brain

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chess Board

This app provides a digital chess board for two players to compete face-to-face on a single device. It offers a realistic game-room aesthetic and allows for saving games, with additional customization options available through a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Face-to-face local multiplayer
  • Realistic game-room aesthetic
  • Piece and board customization
  • Automatic game saving
  • Move history and navigation
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Your next move, across the table. Use one iPhone or iPad as a chess board and play face to face with family or friends. There is no AI opponent and no online play: this is a board for two people at the same table. ■ A game-room look Green felt with walnut, gold and ivory. Boxwood and ebony pieces on a maple and walnut board by default. Pieces are larger and easier to see. ■ Play Tap or drag a piece to move it. Includes promotion, board flipping, coordinates and sound. Jump to the start, step back or forward one move, or jump to the end to rethink each move together. ■ Saved games Games save automatically on your device. Save, reopen, rename and delete up to 3 games for free, and continue after closing the app. ■ Additional Features (one-time purchase) One purchase unlocks everything below. No subscription, and nothing sold item by item. ・No ads ・Unlimited saved games ・Move records and a comment on every move ・Automatic iCloud backup (on/off switch, manual restore) ・Dress Up: freely mix 16 piece sets, 15 boards, 31 backgrounds and 5 sounds Earlier purchasers get all of it at no extra charge. ■ Dress Up Pieces in wood, marble, silver and bronze, glass, lacquer and gold, the Original ChessBoard style, and 10 classic flat sets under open licenses. Boards in wood, marble, ebony, glass, lacquer and more, plus 8 simple two-color boards. Backgrounds in felt, velvet, leather, night sky and solid colors. Sounds: wood, digital, glass, stone and metal. ■ 13 languages Choose in Settings: Japanese, English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese. Free, with ads. Playing and saving on your device work offline. Ads, purchases, purchase restoration and iCloud backup need an internet connection. For iOS and iPadOS 15 or later. iPhone in portrait; iPad in portrait or landscape.

About

Board Brain

This app helps chess players of all levels enhance their skills through interactive games and exercises. It focuses on mastering chessboard coordinates, understanding piece movements, and recognizing square colors to improve overall game vision.

Highlights
  • Interactive games
  • Skill-building exercises
  • Chessboard coordinate mastery
  • Piece movement understanding
  • Square color recognition
Features
Read full description

BoardBrain is designed to help both novice and experienced chess players improve their skills. It offers interactive games and exercises that focus on mastering chessboard coordinates, understanding piece movements, and recognizing square colors.

Screenshots

Chess Board4 screens
Board Brain4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Board Brain at 5.0 against Chess Board's 2.0. Board Brain also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Board Brain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Board ships an update every 30 months, Board Brain every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess Board versus Board Brain: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess BoardBoard Brain
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 30 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB2 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperYuki HondaSelvarajan Thangavel

Customer experience

Chess Board

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Board Brain

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Board

One-time1
  • Additional Features$5.99
None

Board Brain

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Board free?
Chess Board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Board Brain free?
Board Brain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess Board or Board Brain?
Board Brain is rated higher. Chess Board averages 2.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Board Brain averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Chess Board or Board Brain have ads?
Chess Board shows ads; Board Brain does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Board or Board Brain?
Chess Board ships an update every 30 months, and Board Brain every 6 days. Most recently, Chess Board was updated on November 2, 2026 and Board Brain on October 24, 2026.

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