# Chess Royale vs Plain Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Plain Chess at 100% against Chess Royale's 60%. Plain Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 5 weeks). Chess Royale's advantage is ratings volume (20K vs 5) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Plain Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Plain Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 5, 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 100% of Plain Chess's.

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, Plain Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Royale | Plain Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-chess-play-and-learn/id6770610908/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 490 MB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) | [Cerebra Enterprises, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896757537) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Royale

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

**Currently charting:** #189 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 (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


### Plain Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plain-chess-play-and-learn/id6770610908)

Enjoy offline chess matches on your iPhone without ads or accounts. Play against the computer, a friend, or use the AI Coach for strategic advice. Perfect for learning, practicing, or quick games.

**Highlights:** Offline chess play, Play against computer, Pass-and-play multiplayer, AI Coach explanations, Saved games, No ads or account required

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 AI Coach Credits | $2.99 | one-time |
| 30 AI Coach Credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| 100 AI Coach Credits | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

### Is Plain Chess free?

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

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

Plain Chess is rated higher. Chess Royale averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while Plain Chess averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

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

Chess Royale shows ads; Plain Chess does not.

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

Chess Royale ships an update every 5 weeks, and Plain Chess every 4 days. Most recently, Chess Royale was updated on October 28, 2026 and Plain Chess on October 25, 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.*