# Chess Only vs Chess Move

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Only at 75% against Chess Move's 27%. Chess Only also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 17). Chess Move's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 29). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Move sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Chess Only asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Move holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Move has 1.1K ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Chess Only's written reviews are positive against 27% of Chess Move's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess Only ships an update fortnightly, Chess Move every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Only | Chess Move |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-only/id1569045693/reviews) | **[4.3 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-move-stockfish-engine/id1661430804/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 26.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Young-Jo Song](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569045695) | [Setse LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291639719) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Only

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-only/id1569045693)

Enhance your chess skills with instant analysis and tactical puzzles. This app offers a human-like engine with adjustable difficulty and an evaluation bar with blunder alerts. Play and study without distractions, with features like move trial and PGN saving.

**Highlights:** Instant game analysis, Tactical puzzles, Human-like engine (Elo 400-2500), Evaluation bar with blunder alert, Try moves out of game play, PGN file saving, Over-the-board mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chess Move

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-move-stockfish-engine/id1661430804)

This app helps chess players find the best moves using a powerful cloud-based engine. It allows users to set up board positions manually or via camera scan, and customize analysis depth and engine settings for in-depth game review.

**Highlights:** Best move calculation, Cloud-based Stockfish engine, Board setup via drag-and-drop, Camera position scanning, Customizable engine presets, Multiple analysis lines

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

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| ChessMovePro - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $7.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro (Weekly) | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| ChessMovePro - Hidden Discount | $9.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $14.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro - Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Quarterly) | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| ChessMovePro | $29.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Yearly) | $39.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro (Yearly) | $49.99 | per year |
| ChessMovePro | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Great app
- 🚀 Works well
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🧠 Helpful for improving chess skills
- 🏆 Allows beating difficult opponents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Inconsistent performance after updates
- 🤯 Confusing or misleading about free trial

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces not detected correctly
- Moves suggested in wrong direction
- App crashes on launch or during use

**Requested features**

- Add ability to save board positions
- Improve piece detection and move suggestions
- Provide more free analysis options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Only free?

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

### Is Chess Move free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Only or Chess Move?

Chess Move is rated higher. Chess Only averages 4.0 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Chess Move averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do Chess Only or Chess Move have ads?

Neither Chess Only nor Chess Move shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Only or Chess Move?

Chess Only ships an update fortnightly, and Chess Move every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess Only was updated on October 16, 2026 and Chess Move on October 19, 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.*