# ™ Chess vs Pocket Chess

The clearest difference is ads: ™ Chess at none against Pocket Chess's shown. ™ Chess also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Pocket Chess's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 37%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ™ Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Chess sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pocket Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10K and 15K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of ™ Chess's written reviews are positive against 61% of Pocket Chess's.

™ Chess ships an update every 4 months, Pocket Chess every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ™ Chess | Pocket Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id1115318362/reviews) | **[4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10K | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | **61.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#204** |
| Size | 112 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [VM Mobile Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/646128457) | [Lessmore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579865033) |

## What reviewers say

### ™ Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id1115318362)

Engage in the timeless strategy of chess on your mobile device. Play against sophisticated AI opponents across multiple difficulty levels, or challenge friends and family. Features include an undo option, board editor, and customizable themes for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Undo feature, Board editor, Customizable themes, Game save/load, Timed games

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 🚀 Quick response times
- 💡 Variety of difficulty levels
- 🤩 Enjoyable for chess lovers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent difficulty levels
- 🤬 Overpowered AI on easy mode
- 💰 Too many ads
- 🤯 Frustrating for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Illegal moves allowed by AI
- Incorrect draw detection
- Castling not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add more difficulty settings
- Allow under-promotion
- Improve AI difficulty scaling
- Reduce ads or offer paid version


### Pocket Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076)

**Currently charting:** #204 Top Free · Board (US App Store)

Enhance your chess skills with hundreds of challenging chess problems and puzzles. This app focuses on simplified boards to help you quickly recognize chess patterns and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of chess problems, Checkmate in 2 and 4 puzzles, Simplified boards for pattern recognition, Improve chess game, Learn chess patterns faster

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Event Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Bundle | $11.99 | one-time |
| Super Coin Bundle | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved chess skills
- 👍 Challenging yet fun puzzles
- 🤩 Addictive and engaging
- 🧠 Helps develop tactical thinking
- 📈 Tracks progress and skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Some puzzles have issues
- 🤔 Opponent moves don't always make sense

**Reported bugs**

- Progress data loss
- Incorrect checkmate solutions
- Game freezing after certain moves

**Requested features**

- Ability to review past puzzles
- More advanced puzzles and levels
- Option to disable audio/music
- Sync progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ™ Chess free?

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

### Is Pocket Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ™ Chess or Pocket Chess?

Pocket Chess is rated higher. ™ Chess averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Pocket Chess averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.

### Do ™ Chess or Pocket Chess have ads?

Pocket Chess shows ads; ™ Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, ™ Chess or Pocket Chess?

™ Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Pocket Chess every 2 months. Most recently, ™ Chess was updated on October 21, 2026 and Pocket Chess on October 21, 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.*