# Chess Royale vs Chess

The clearest difference is rating: Chess at 4.9 against Chess Royale's 4.5. Chess also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Chess Royale's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 46%) and chart position (#180 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Royale sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Chess sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20K and 6.8K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Chess Royale's written reviews are positive against 46% of Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, Chess every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Royale | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews) | **[4.9 (6.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-chess-online/id1547549647/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 6.8K |
| Positive reviews | **59.5% of reviews** | 46.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#180** | — |
| Size | 490 MB | 282 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [Wuhan Dobest Information Technology Co, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/917530329) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Royale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Free · Strategy (US App Store)

Engage in the classic game of chess with millions worldwide. This app offers AI challenges, multiplayer matches, and extensive training tools including puzzles and post-game analysis to improve your strategic skills.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Chess puzzles, Post-game analysis, Beginner and advanced training, Multiple game modes

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Vip | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Vip | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Vip | $39.99 | per year |
| Tiny Coins Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Gems Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gems Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 Seamless matchmaking
- 💡 Helpful chess lessons and puzzles
- 🤩 Great for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and disruptive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Long wait times between games due to ads
- 🤖 Suspicion of playing against bots instead of real players

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect puzzle solutions being marked as wrong
- Game losses due to connection issues or app freezes
- Inconsistent trophy/ranking system
- Inability to report cheating or suspicious behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to play longer timed games
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- More advanced chess analysis and training features
- Improved matchmaking to pair players of similar skill levels


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-chess-online/id1547549647)

Play chess against AI or other players online. Features adjustable difficulty, hints, and multiple game modes. Save your progress and develop your strategy to become a chess master.

**Highlights:** Selectable board skins, Adjustable game difficulty, Hint function, Endgame mode, AI mode, Two-player mode, Save game progress

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Per Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Per Month | $1.99 | per month |
| VIP Per Month | $15.99 | per year |
| Remove Ads B | $0.99 | one-time |
| Badge*120 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Analysis*15 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hint*65 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Badge250 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chess Online-Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Badge*500 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent online play
- 🎮 Good computer play
- 🎉 Very fun game
- 🤩 Amazing and super good

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy online play
- 💤 Freezes and crashes mid-game
- 🔍 False advertising (not 3D as shown)
- 🕰️ Stalemate issues with AI
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces making impossible moves
- Touch screen becoming unresponsive
- Game declaring draws on clear checkmates
- Disconnections and network issues

**Requested features**

- Add online multiplayer with friends
- Option to disable stalemate rule
- Improve AI's understanding of checkmate


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

### Is Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Royale or Chess?

Chess is rated higher. Chess Royale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Chess averages 4.9 from 6.8K ratings.

### Do Chess Royale or Chess have ads?

Both Chess Royale and Chess show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Royale or Chess?

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, and Chess every 4 weeks. Most recently, Chess Royale was updated on November 11, 2026 and Chess on November 7, 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.*