Comparison

Chess King vs Reality Check Chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess King

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

Highlights
  • 100+ learning courses
  • Interactive theoretical lessons
  • High-quality, double-checked puzzles
  • Personal chess trainer
  • Computer analysis
  • Offline support
  • Chess tasks for kids
Features
Read full description

Don't just play chess. Train like a master. Chess King teaches the game the way strong players are actually built — with a rigorous, structured curriculum, not a random feed of puzzles. 147 complete courses take you from your first move to advanced play, step by step. WHY CHESS KING IS DIFFERENT Most chess apps let you play. Chess King trains you. Every course is a real lesson built on classical training methods refined over 30 years — the same approach behind CT-ART, the tactics trainer used by serious players worldwide. You don't just solve a position and move on. Chess King gives you hints when you are stuck, explains the idea behind the right move, and shows you the striking refutation of the mistakes you might make. That is how understanding is built — not memorized. WHAT YOU GET - 147 structured courses covering tactics, strategy, openings, the middlegame, and endgames, organized by level from beginner to master. - Chess King University: 7 guided learning paths and 44 courses that give you a clear, ordered route to real improvement — no guessing what to study next. - Interactive theory: read the lesson, then play the moves on the board yourself. Learning by doing, not just reading. - Thousands of carefully selected exercises with graphic hints and full explanations. - Play against the computer to put what you have trained into practice. - A progress report for every lesson, so you always see how far you have come. TRAIN ON EVERY DEVICE Your subscription, purchases, progress, and rating sync automatically across web, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Train on your phone on the commute, continue on the web at home — your progress follows you. TRY IT FREE Preview courses before you commit. When you are ready, choose a monthly or yearly plan, or buy individual courses to keep forever. Chess King — train like a master. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Reality Check Chess

This app focuses on improving your chess game by presenting you with random, realistic game positions from top-level play. It helps you assess your overall playing strength beyond just tactical puzzles, offering various modes to challenge your consistency and strategic thinking.

Highlights
  • Random, realistic game positions
  • Focus on overall playing strength
  • Variety of playing modes
  • Improves consistency and strategy
  • Accurate evaluation of playing strength
Features
Read full description

REALITY CHECK CHESS - Train on real positions. Get an honest measure of your game. Tactical puzzles are fun but do they actually make you stronger? Most of your real games aren't lost to missed brilliancies. They're lost to ordinary blunders in ordinary positions. Reality Check trains you where it counts: authentic positions from top-level games, where you must find the best move — whether it's a tactic, a quiet positional improvement, or just a solid practical choice. No contrived setups. Just an honest read on how strong you really are. WHY REALITY CHECK • Train on real positions from master games - not artificial puzzles • Get a precise evaluation of your true playing strength • Build consistency in the positions you actually face • Sharpen the "normal" moves that decide most games GAME MODES • Endgame Academy - NEW! Master essential checkmates & endgame technique through guided, adaptive drills with star ratings • Masters - test yourself in positions from elite games • Tactical Racer - race the clock to find the best moves • Daily Challenges - a fresh test every day • Blunder Check - stop giving games away • Simulator & Study - analyze, learn, and play freely • Puzzles - classic tactics when you want them BUILT FOR REAL IMPROVEMENT A redesigned premium interface with smooth board animations, progress tracking, and a powerful engine for instant analysis. Get your reality checked - and become a genuinely better chess player. Premium is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/d53d968e-a742-4176-abbf-0a7ca662041d

Screenshots

Chess King4 screens
Reality Check Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Reality Check Chess at none against Chess King's shown. Reality Check Chess also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 78%) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). Chess King's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 7) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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 King sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Reality Check Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess King holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess King has 2.5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of Chess King's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reality Check Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, Reality Check Chess every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Chess King versus Reality Check Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess KingReality Check Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.5K ratings) — better4.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.5K — better7
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB194 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChess KingMarko Milosevic

Customer experience

Chess King

All ratings2,501 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews324 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative16.4%

Reality Check Chess

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Chess King

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on M1 Macs
  • Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
  • Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
  • Cannot restore purchases
  • Doesnot sync progress across devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve user interface and design
  • Add more opening courses
  • Provide better explanations for moves
  • Allow resetting progress
Show 2 more
  • Improve syncing across devices
  • Add online chess mode

Reality Check Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

17 purchases

Chess King

Subscriptions6
  • CT-ART: The Best Tactics7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Chess King University7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Chess King Courses3 Days trial$11.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Chess King Maximum Pack1 Month trial$17.991 Month
  • Chess King Courses3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Chess King Maximum Pack1 Year trial$119.991 Year
One-time11
  • Mate in 1 move (Chess Puzzles)$3.99
  • Chess Endings for Beginners$7.99
  • Chess: From Beginner to Club$12.99
Show 8 more
  • Chess Combinations Vol. 1$12.99
  • Chess Tactics for Beginners$12.99
  • Chess Opening Blunders$12.99
  • Chess Opening Lab (1400-2000)$12.99
  • Chess Strategy for Beginners$12.99
  • Elementary Chess Tactics 1$12.99
  • CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics)$17.99
  • Total Chess Endgames 1600-2400$17.99
2 purchases

Reality Check Chess

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Month7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • Premium Year7 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess King free?
Chess King is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Reality Check Chess free?
Reality Check Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess King or Reality Check Chess?
Chess King is rated higher. Chess King averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Reality Check Chess averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Chess King or Reality Check Chess have ads?
Chess King shows ads; Reality Check Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess King or Reality Check Chess?
Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, and Reality Check Chess every 6 days. Most recently, Chess King was updated on October 29, 2026 and Reality Check Chess on October 24, 2026.

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