# Chess Ultimate vs Exploding Kittens® 2

The clearest difference is price: Chess Ultimate at Free against Exploding Kittens® 2's $4.99. Chess Ultimate also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Exploding Kittens® 2's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 112). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Chess Ultimate is free to download; Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99 up front. Chess Ultimate sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Exploding Kittens® 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploding Kittens® 2 has 3.7K ratings behind it against 112, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of Chess Ultimate's written reviews are positive against 60% of Exploding Kittens® 2's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess Ultimate ships an update every 4 days, Exploding Kittens® 2 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Ultimate | Exploding Kittens® 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (112 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-ultimate/id1560046518/reviews) | **[4.8 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 112 | **3.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **63.2% of reviews** | 59.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 687 MB | 443 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Jesse Lugassy](https://appshunter.io/developer/1560046520) | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Ultimate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-ultimate/id1560046518)

Engage in a strategic battle where classic chess meets a roster of unique characters. Build a team to defend your King and outwit your opponent in this fresh take on a timeless game. It's easy to learn but offers deep mastery.

**Highlights:** Unique character roster, Team building, King defense strategy, Opponent downfall plotting, Fresh take on chess

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1,000 Gems | $1.99 | one-time |
| 2,000 Gems | $3.49 | one-time |
| 3,000 Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Battle Pass | $7.99 | one-time |
| 5,000 Gems | $7.99 | one-time |
| 10,000 Gems | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Fun twist on classic chess
- 👍 Great concept and potential
- 🤩 Amazing graphics and art
- 🚀 Very fun to play
- 👍 No ads and offline play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 😞 Login/sign-in issues
- ⏳ Long matchmaking times
- ⚖️ Unbalanced gameplay
- 📉 Some pieces are lackluster

**Reported bugs**

- App flashing and becoming unplayable after closing without shutting down
- Game refuses to connect to the internet
- No matches available
- Does not indicate when king is in check
- Login issues with Apple accounts

**Requested features**

- Fischer Random mode
- Spells or building mechanics
- Health bars and better motion for turtle piece
- Improved copy cat spawning mechanic
- Stronger giant piece


### Exploding Kittens® 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Card, #12 Top Paid · Board, #133 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Experience the chaotic fun of a popular card game with friends. This digital version features customizable avatars, animated cards, and new ways to play, including the highly requested "Nope" card. Engage in quick rounds of strategy and luck to be the last player standing.

**Highlights:** Customizable avatars, Emoji reactions, Multiple game modes, Animated cards, Online multiplayer, AI opponent

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

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Santa Claws Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Card back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Emoji Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| MysticMayhem Cauldron Creature | $1.99 | one-time |
| Glenn Coco | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sea Rat Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Location | $1.99 | one-time |
| Slice of Heaven Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Yucky Buddy Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Location | $1.99 | one-time |
| Santa Claws Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sun and Spice Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Explosive Expansions Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
- 👍 Charming animations and visuals
- 🤩 Engaging and fun experience
- 🎨 Customizable skins and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow animations and gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤖 Unresponsive AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Nope card not functioning properly
- Leaderboard not updating correctly
- Inability to leave a game after losing
- Forced account creation for online play

**Requested features**

- Add a turn timer to prevent stalling
- Allow custom deck creation and configuration
- Improve online multiplayer stability and matchmaking
- Bring back the original game's sound effects and personality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Ultimate free?

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

### Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?

Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Ultimate or Exploding Kittens® 2?

Exploding Kittens® 2 is rated higher. Chess Ultimate averages 4.0 out of 5 from 112 ratings, while Exploding Kittens® 2 averages 4.8 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do Chess Ultimate or Exploding Kittens® 2 have ads?

Neither Chess Ultimate nor Exploding Kittens® 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Ultimate or Exploding Kittens® 2?

Chess Ultimate ships an update every 4 days, and Exploding Kittens® 2 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess Ultimate was updated on September 18, 2026 and Exploding Kittens® 2 on September 26, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*