# Primus Chess Lite vs ChessBased

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Primus Chess Lite at none against ChessBased's 1. Primus Chess Lite also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (23 vs 1). ChessBased's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Primus Chess Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Primus Chess Lite has 23 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Primus Chess Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of ChessBased's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Primus Chess Lite ships an update every 9 months, ChessBased every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Primus Chess Lite | ChessBased |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primus-chess-lite/id1108509545/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbased-stockfish-19/id6773557320/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **23** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 78 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DBRG Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/964613425) | [ENVISIONAIRY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605281065) |

## What reviewers say

### Primus Chess Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/primus-chess-lite/id1108509545)

This chess engine is designed for intermediate players, mimicking human play with strategic depth and occasional blunders. It offers local multiplayer options and practice modes.

**Highlights:** Human-like chess engine, Intermediate player focus (up to 2000 Elo), Local multiplayer (Bluetooth/LAN), Tabletop virtual chessboard mode, Five skill levels, Selected puzzles and practice levels, Mini-tournament mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ChessBased

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbased-stockfish-19/id6773557320)

Analyze chess openings with millions of games and advanced engine evaluations. Prepare like a grandmaster with a seamless interface, win-loss statistics, and move-by-move exploration. Save your favorite lines for later study on your iPhone or iPad.

**Highlights:** Millions of games database, Stockfish 18 engine evaluations, Win-loss statistics, Move-by-move exploration, Save favorite lines, Seamless UI

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChessBased: Stockfish 18 | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Primus Chess Lite free?

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

### Is ChessBased free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Primus Chess Lite or ChessBased?

Primus Chess Lite is rated higher. Primus Chess Lite averages 4.3 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while ChessBased averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Primus Chess Lite or ChessBased have ads?

Neither Primus Chess Lite nor ChessBased shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Primus Chess Lite or ChessBased?

Primus Chess Lite ships an update every 9 months, and ChessBased every 2 weeks. Most recently, Primus Chess Lite was updated on October 21, 2026 and ChessBased on October 12, 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.*