# Chess King vs Train Chess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Train Chess at none against Chess King's 17. Train Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). Chess King's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess King sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Train Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Train Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess King has 2.5K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, Train Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess King | Train Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/train-chess/id6760048227/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 109 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) | [Camren Todd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1799106960) |

## 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


### Train Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/train-chess/id6760048227)

Master hundreds of essential positional endgames to elevate your chess skills. Practice against an engine to improve your late-game win rate and conversion. This app focuses on crucial endgame scenarios for strategic improvement.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of positional endgames, Engine practice, Improve win rate, Master endgame conversion, Strategic improvement

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess King free?

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

### Is Train Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess King or Train Chess?

Train Chess is rated higher. Chess King averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Train Chess averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Chess King or Train Chess have ads?

Chess King shows ads; Train Chess does not.

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

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, and Train Chess every 4 days. Most recently, Chess King was updated on October 29, 2026 and Train Chess on October 2, 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.*