# SparkChess vs Chess Online·

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Online· at none against SparkChess's 9. Chess Online· also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). SparkChess's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.5) and review sentiment (27% vs 4%). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SparkChess sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chess Online· asks for nothing beyond the download.

SparkChess holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Online· has 328 ratings behind it against 44, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of SparkChess's written reviews are positive against 4% of Chess Online·'s.

SparkChess ships an update every 4 months, Chess Online· every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SparkChess | Chess Online· |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (44 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkchess/id1266183605/reviews)** | [3.5 (328 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-online/id1424486657/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 44 | **328** |
| Positive reviews | **26.9% of reviews** | 3.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 71 MB | 141 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Media Division SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/398133131) | [Solitaire Games Free](https://appshunter.io/developer/1411588969) |

## What reviewers say

### SparkChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkchess/id1266183605)

This chess game offers a fun and accessible experience for players of all skill levels. Enjoy various boards, computer opponents, and online multiplayer. Learn with interactive lessons, solve puzzles, and study historical games.

**Highlights:** Practice against computer or friends, Multiple board styles (2D, 3D, fantasy), Interactive chess lessons, Chess puzzles and historical game study, Virtual Chess Coach, Multiplayer progress tracking, Save and replay games

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly subscription | $9.99 | per year |
| Unlock Fantasy Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Deon | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Guru and Alyx | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock 3D Board | $1.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Advanced Multiplayer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Advanced Features | $3.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $6.99 | one-time |


### Chess Online·

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-online/id1424486657)

Engage in classic chess matches against friends or a challenging AI. Save your progress and resume games later. Offers multiple AI difficulty levels for varied gameplay.

**Highlights:** Unlimited free games, Play against AI, Play against friends, Multiple AI difficulty levels, Save game progress, Pass-and-play mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 😊 Simple and clean visuals
- 🎮 Decent gameplay mechanics when functioning properly
- ⚖️ Reasonable difficulty levels available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📺 Excessive ads interrupting gameplay every 1-3 moves
- 💰 No option to remove ads with payment
- 🐛 Illegal chess moves by AI (castling through check, moving into check)
- 🐛 Incorrect piece placement (queens on wrong color squares)
- 🐛 Game prevents legal moves (castling, en passant, pawn captures)

**Reported bugs**

- AI makes illegal moves (castling through check, moving into check)
- Queens placed on incorrect color squares
- Castling not recognized as legal move
- En passant not implemented
- Pawns cannot capture pieces correctly

**Requested features**

- Place ads only at game start/end, not during gameplay
- Add premium option to remove advertisements
- Improve AI to follow all chess rules correctly
- Better color scheme for board and pieces
- Add animation to piece movements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SparkChess free?

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

### Is Chess Online· free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SparkChess or Chess Online·?

SparkChess is rated higher. SparkChess averages 4.0 out of 5 from 44 ratings, while Chess Online· averages 3.5 from 328 ratings.

### Do SparkChess or Chess Online· have ads?

SparkChess shows ads; Chess Online· does not.

### Which is updated more often, SparkChess or Chess Online·?

SparkChess ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Online· every 3 weeks. Most recently, SparkChess was updated on October 24, 2026 and Chess Online· on October 20, 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.*