# Pocket Chess vs Alibi

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Alibi at none against Pocket Chess's 9. Alibi also leads on ads (none vs shown). Pocket Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and chart position (#132 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Chess sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Alibi asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pocket Chess ships an update every 2 months, Alibi every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Chess | Alibi |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **15K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 61.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#132** | — |
| Size | 199 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lessmore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579865033) | [Robin Tanzilli](https://appshunter.io/developer/6815255123) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Chess

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

**Currently charting:** #132 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


### Alibi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alibi-shadowplay/id6757428103)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Chess free?

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

### Is Alibi free?

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

### Do Pocket Chess or Alibi have ads?

Pocket Chess shows ads; Alibi does not.

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

Pocket Chess ships an update every 2 months, and Alibi every 4 months. Most recently, Pocket Chess was updated on October 24, 2026 and Alibi on October 20, 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.*