# Chess King vs BioDecoder

The clearest difference is ads: BioDecoder at none against Chess King's shown. Chess King's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.5). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess King sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and BioDecoder sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, BioDecoder fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess King | BioDecoder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 109 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) | [Richard Magney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1792734341) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess King

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT-ART: The Best Tactics | $5.99 | per month |
| Chess King University | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $17.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $89.99 | per year |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $119.99 | per year |
| Mate in 1 move (Chess Puzzles) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chess Endings for Beginners | $7.99 | one-time |
| Chess: From Beginner to Club | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Combinations Vol. 1 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Tactics for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Blunders | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Lab (1400-2000) | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Strategy for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Elementary Chess Tactics 1 | $12.99 | one-time |
| CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Total Chess Endgames 1600-2400 | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Best game in the world
- 👍 Helpful for practice
- 💡 Excellent tutorial and training content
- 🎨 Well-chosen puzzles
- 🧠 Improves pattern recognition and tactics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive
- 🐛 Crashes on iPhone and iPad
- 🐛 Buggy after recent update
- 🤔 Confusing interface and lack of instructions
- 🤔 Difficult for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve user interface and design
- Add more opening courses
- Provide better explanations for moves
- Allow resetting progress


### BioDecoder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/biodecoder/id6749856010)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess King free?

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

### Is BioDecoder free?

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

### Do Chess King or BioDecoder have ads?

Chess King shows ads; BioDecoder does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess King or BioDecoder?

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, and BioDecoder fortnightly. Most recently, Chess King was updated on October 19, 2026 and BioDecoder on October 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*