# Chess Royale vs Lichess

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Royale at 4.5 against Lichess's 4.0. Chess Royale also leads on ratings volume (20K vs 604) and review sentiment (60% vs 51%). Lichess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Chess Royale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 604, 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 51% of Lichess's.

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, Lichess fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Royale | Lichess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews)** | [4.0 (604 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lichess/id1662361230/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 604 |
| Positive reviews | **59.7% of reviews** | 51.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#85** |
| Size | 473 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [LICHESS.ORG](https://appshunter.io/developer/968371783) |

## 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


### Lichess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lichess/id1662361230)

**Currently charting:** #85 Top Free · Strategy (US App Store)

Play chess online with millions of users, participate in tournaments, solve puzzles, and analyze games. This free and open-source application offers a comprehensive chess experience for players of all levels, with features for learning and casual play.

**Highlights:** Real-time and correspondence chess, Arena tournaments, Chess puzzles, Game analysis with Stockfish, Interactive study feature, Chess clock

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great interface
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 💡 Useful resources for learning and analysis

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional UI issues
- 💡 Room for more customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Swipe-to-go-back gesture interferes with piece placement

**Requested features**

- Name of opening in opening explorer
- Ability to add and subtract additional things on the homepage
- Reset/replay button on puzzles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

### Is Lichess free?

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

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

Chess Royale is rated higher. Chess Royale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Lichess averages 4.0 from 604 ratings.

### Do Chess Royale or Lichess have ads?

Chess Royale shows ads; Lichess does not.

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

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, and Lichess fortnightly. Most recently, Chess Royale was updated on September 24, 2026 and Lichess on September 23, 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.*