# Chess Royale vs DGT Chess

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Royale at 4.5 against DGT Chess's 3.7. Chess Royale also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 22%) and ratings volume (20K vs 6). DGT Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. DGT Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Royale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Chess Royale's written reviews are positive against 22% of DGT Chess's.

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, DGT Chess monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and June 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Royale | DGT Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dgt-chess/id1599508632/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **59.7% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 473 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [Digital Game Technology B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599508634) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Royale

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

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 (10)**

| 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 |
| Gold Reserve 2 | $2.99 | 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


### DGT Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dgt-chess/id1599508632)

Connect your physical chess board to an online platform to play against real opponents worldwide.  Enjoy a focused game experience with moves displayed on your board via LED rings. Save and share your games.

**Highlights:** Connect physical board to Lichess, Play against 100,000+ real opponents, Moves displayed via LED rings on board, Play against Lichess AI, Save and share games, Offline 2-player mode

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

### Is DGT Chess free?

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

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

Chess Royale is rated higher. Chess Royale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while DGT Chess averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Chess Royale or DGT Chess have ads?

Chess Royale shows ads; DGT Chess does not.

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

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, and DGT Chess monthly. Most recently, Chess Royale was updated on September 25, 2026 and DGT Chess on June 8, 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.*