Comparison

Surround vs Classic Chess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Surround

Play the ancient strategy game of Go online with a global community. Engage in live or turn-based matches, observe ongoing games, and connect with other players. Receive timely notifications for your games and enjoy a sleek dark mode interface.

Highlights
  • Play live and turn-based Go games
  • Observe ongoing games
  • Chat with other players
  • Home screen widget for correspondence games
  • Notifications for game turns
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Surround is a client to play Go online with other players on the website online-go.com (Online Go Server - OGS). OGS is a very popular Go Server with a friendly community, and this app aims to provide the best OGS experience on iPhones and iPads. Features: - Play Go with other Go players on OGS, either live games or turn-based (correspondence) games. - Observe other live games that are currently being played. - Chat with other players. - Get a glimpse of your correspondence games on your home screen with a widget. - Receive notifications when it is your turn in correspondence games. - Beautiful dark mode. There are many more features on OGS website that I plan to implement into the app gradually, so I hope to have your support to make it happen faster. Let me know if there is any feature you specifically want to have first. This app offers subscriptions for supporting the app's ongoing development. If you decide to participate in the subscriptions: - Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. - The subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. - All purchases are final. I cannot issue refunds for purchases charged to your Apple ID. The Terms of Use can be found at: https://files.honganhkhoa.com/SurroundTerms.html, and the Privacy Policy can be found at: https://files.honganhkhoa.com/SurroundPrivacyPolicy.html.

About

Classic Chess

Features
Read full description

Classic Chess: The Timeless Strategy Game Rediscover the joy of chess with Classic Chess, a beautifully designed app that focuses on a clean, distraction-free playing experience. Whether you're a beginner learning the basics or an experienced player looking for a challenging opponent, our intuitive design and adjustable difficulty levels make it the perfect chess companion for all ages. Key Features: Single Player Mode: Play against a powerful AI with 6 adjustable difficulty levels, perfect for challenging yourself as you improve your skills. Two Player Mode: Challenge a friend to a local match on the same device. Elegant Customization: Choose between Grey or Dark themes and select your favorite Classic or Angular piece sets for a personalized look. Time Control: Play fast-paced blitz games or long, thoughtful matches with customizable time controls, ranging from None up to 2 hours. Learning & Training: Activate Show Hints to improve your strategy and see the best moves available. Full Control: Use Undo/Redo to analyze different moves, and keep track of the game flow with Show Move History. Always Free: Enjoy the full, classic game without any cost. Download Classic Chess today and bring the world's most popular strategy game to your pocket!

Screenshots

Surround4 screens
Classic Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Classic Chess at none against Surround's 4. Classic Chess also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). Surround's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Surround sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Classic Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Surround ships an update fortnightly, Classic Chess every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Surround versus Classic Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSurroundClassic Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (69 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings69 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHong Anh KhoaChaovey Visal

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Surround

Subscriptions4
  • Surround App Supporter$0.491 Month
  • Surround App Supporter$1.991 Month
  • Surround App Supporter$4.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Surround App Supporter$9.991 Month
None

Classic Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Surround free?
Surround is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Classic Chess free?
Classic Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Surround or Classic Chess have ads?
Classic Chess shows ads; Surround does not.
Which is updated more often, Surround or Classic Chess?
Surround ships an update fortnightly, and Classic Chess every 4 weeks. Most recently, Surround was updated on October 16, 2026 and Classic Chess on October 12, 2026.

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