# Chess Only vs Chess Puzzles & Tactics

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Puzzles & Tactics at 4.5 against Chess Only's 4.0. Chess Puzzles & Tactics also leads on ratings volume (490 vs 29). Chess Only's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Puzzles & Tactics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Only asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Puzzles & Tactics holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Puzzles & Tactics has 490 ratings behind it against 29, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Chess Only's written reviews are positive against 76% of Chess Puzzles & Tactics's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Only | Chess Puzzles & Tactics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (29 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-only/id1569045693/reviews) | **[4.5 (490 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 29 | **490** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **76.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Young-Jo Song](https://appshunter.io/developer/1569045695) | [Sajed Nahian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494597866) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Only

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

This app offers a focused chess experience with instant analysis and a human-like engine for tactical puzzles. It's designed for offline play, battery saving, and includes features like an evaluation bar with blunder alerts and e-board support.

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

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chess Puzzles & Tactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614)

Improve your chess skills with an extensive library of puzzles that adapt to your level. Analyze positions with a powerful engine and train specific tactics and endgames. Play offline and track your progress with a personalized Elo rating.

**Highlights:** Unlimited free chess puzzles, Adaptive difficulty with puzzle Elo, Offline play, Stockfish engine analysis, 56 puzzle themes, Review missed puzzles, Customizable board themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Forever | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🆓 Free to use, no ads
- ♾️ Seemingly endless puzzles
- 🧠 Great for chess improvement
- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎯 Puzzles tailored to skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Progress resets (ELO, history)
- ⚠️ Login issues (Apple/Google)
- ⏳ Puzzles take a long time to load
- 🥶 Freezes and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to login
- Application resets to starting value (1000elo)
- History/review chapters remain unlocked
- In-application feedback not functioning
- Rating feature broke

**Requested features**

- Option to mute sounds
- Ability to disable audio
- Allow loading custom puzzle sets
- Better interface and cable


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Only free?

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

### Is Chess Puzzles & Tactics free?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Only or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics is rated higher. Chess Only averages 4.0 out of 5 from 29 ratings, while Chess Puzzles & Tactics averages 4.5 from 490 ratings.

### Do Chess Only or Chess Puzzles & Tactics have ads?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics shows ads; Chess Only does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Only or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess Only ships an update weekly, and Chess Puzzles & Tactics weekly. Most recently, Chess Only was updated on November 7, 2026 and Chess Puzzles & Tactics on November 8, 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.*