# Chessify vs Play960

The clearest difference is rating: Play960 at 5.0 against Chessify's 4.4. Play960 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 19). Chessify's advantage is ratings volume (398 vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chessify sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Play960 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Play960 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chessify has 398 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Chessify ships an update monthly, Play960 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chessify | Play960 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (398 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play960/id6468419899/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **398** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 140 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chessify Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1397066774) | [Claude Banta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1670517858) |

## What reviewers say

### Chessify

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775)

This app offers advanced chess analysis tools, including a real-time chessboard scanner, powerful cloud-based engines, and a unique video finder. Analyze games, puzzles, and learn chess theory with comprehensive features for players of all levels.

**Highlights:** Real chessboard scanner, Superfast cloud chess engine analysis, Video finder for chess positions, Offline play against Stockfish, Opening Explorer with Lichess database, Import/export FEN/PGN, Online real-time Blitz

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bronze 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Silver 1 month | $2.49 | per month |
| Gold 1 Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Bronze 12 months | $7.99 | per year |
| Amateur | $12.99 | per month |
| Silver 12 months | $14.99 | per year |
| Gold 12 months | $49.99 | per year |
| Master | $59.99 | per month |
| Amateur Yearly | $129.99 | per year |
| Master | $559.99 | per year |
| SuperFast analysis - 1000 sec. | $0.99 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - 10000sec. | $3.99 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - 30000sec. | $5.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Standard Pack | $11.49 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - 100000sec | $13.99 | one-time |
| Popular Pack | $29.49 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - unlimited | $34.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Pack | $117.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 Accurate chess board scanning from photos
- 🚀 Fast and efficient position analysis
- ☁️ Cloud-based powerful chess engine (Stockfish)
- 💾 Easy PGN export and saving functionality
- 📚 Perfect for studying chess books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📸 Inconsistent scanning accuracy
- ❌ App doesn't work on iOS 18 and older versions
- 💰 Expensive paywall with limited free features
- 🔥 Device overheating issues reported

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen in camera view during scanning
- Scanning omits first or last rank of board
- App crashes when loading images
- Buttons not clickable on certain iOS versions
- Position not recognized from screenshots

**Requested features**

- Add move comments and annotations capability
- Board flip option during gameplay
- Auto-save functionality to prevent position loss
- Ability to edit and extend saved games
- Tactics puzzle mode with move verification


### Play960

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play960/id6468419899)

Generate random Chess960 positions for over-the-board play. You can view positions by number, reverse lookup using a piece keyboard, and customize the display. Easily copy FEN notation to other apps.

**Highlights:** Generate random Chess960 positions, View positions by number, Reverse lookup with piece keyboard, Customizable display options, Copy/paste FEN notation, Full-screen mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chessify free?

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

### Is Play960 free?

Play960 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chessify or Play960?

Play960 is rated higher. Chessify averages 4.4 out of 5 from 398 ratings, while Play960 averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Chessify or Play960 have ads?

Neither Chessify nor Play960 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chessify or Play960?

Chessify ships an update monthly, and Play960 every 3 months. Most recently, Chessify was updated on October 11, 2026 and Play960 on October 5, 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.*