# Chess vs Active Chess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess at none against Active Chess's 3. Chess also leads on update cadence (every 9 months vs every 39 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Active Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess ships an update every 9 months, Active Chess every 39 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Active Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 months** | Every 39 months |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 94 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Puneet Soni](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473174794) | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-real-master/id1473493522)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Active Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496)

Experience a unique chess variant with randomized starting positions and modified rules for dynamic gameplay. Develop your strategic thinking and planning skills in this engaging board game.

**Highlights:** Randomized starting positions, Modified chess rules, Strategic gameplay, Cognitive skill development, Choice of board sizes, Play against a chess bot

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Positions 1 Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Positions 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Positions 3 Month | $4.99 | per 3 months |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Active Chess free?

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

### Do Chess or Active Chess have ads?

Neither Chess nor Active Chess shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update every 9 months, and Active Chess every 39 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 6, 2026 and Active Chess on October 9, 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.*