# Pocket Chess vs Chess Move

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Move at none against Pocket Chess's shown. Chess Move also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Pocket Chess's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 27%) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Chess sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Move sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pocket Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Chess has 15K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Pocket Chess's written reviews are positive against 27% of Chess Move's.

Pocket Chess ships an update every 2 months, Chess Move every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Chess | Chess Move |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076/reviews)** | [4.3 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-move-stockfish-engine/id1661430804/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **61.3% of reviews** | 26.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#98** | — |
| Size | 199 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lessmore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579865033) | [Setse LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1291639719) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076)

**Currently charting:** #98 Top Free · Board (US App Store)

Enhance your chess skills with hundreds of challenging chess problems and puzzles. This app focuses on simplified boards to help you quickly recognize chess patterns and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of chess problems, Checkmate in 2 and 4 puzzles, Simplified boards for pattern recognition, Improve chess game, Learn chess patterns faster

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Event Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Bundle | $11.99 | one-time |
| Super Coin Bundle | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved chess skills
- 👍 Challenging yet fun puzzles
- 🤩 Addictive and engaging
- 🧠 Helps develop tactical thinking
- 📈 Tracks progress and skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Some puzzles have issues
- 🤔 Opponent moves don't always make sense

**Reported bugs**

- Progress data loss
- Incorrect checkmate solutions
- Game freezing after certain moves

**Requested features**

- Ability to review past puzzles
- More advanced puzzles and levels
- Option to disable audio/music
- Sync progress across devices


### 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 Pocket Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Move free?

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

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

Pocket Chess is rated higher. Pocket Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while Chess Move averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.

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

Pocket Chess shows ads; Chess Move does not.

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

Pocket Chess ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Move every 3 weeks. Most recently, Pocket Chess was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess Move on October 30, 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.*