# ChessUp vs ChessBase Mobile Chess

The clearest difference is rating: ChessUp at 4.8 against ChessBase Mobile Chess's 2.9. ChessUp also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChessBase Mobile Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. ChessUp asks for nothing beyond the download.

ChessUp holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChessUp has 2.7K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of ChessUp's written reviews are positive against 41% of ChessBase Mobile Chess's.

ChessUp ships an update every 2 weeks, ChessBase Mobile Chess every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChessUp | ChessBase Mobile Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessup/id1588782312/reviews)** | [2.9 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **54.5% of reviews** | 40.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 218 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bryght Labs Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588782314) | [ChessBase GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/417720797) |

## What reviewers say

### ChessUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessup/id1588782312)

This app enhances your chess experience with a smart chessboard. It offers game archives, analysis, and live AI assistance. Connect to play remote opponents on various platforms.

**Highlights:** Chess game archives, Game analysis, Live AI assistance, Remote opponent play, BLE connectivity

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app and board
- 👍 Fantastic board to learn and improve game
- 🚀 Awesome chess experience
- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Incredible learning tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lots of bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Crashes and connectivity issues
- 🐛 Misleading marketing and unfinished product
- 🐛 Haptics issues and unresponsive interface
- 🐛 AI difficulty imbalanced

**Reported bugs**

- Moves not registering
- Bluetooth connectivity issues
- Crashes and freezes
- Sync issues between app and board
- Lessons not working properly

**Requested features**

- Add chess openings lessons
- Implement position setup and export/import
- Add post-game review mechanism
- Improve AI difficulty scaling
- Add chess puzzles


### ChessBase Mobile Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093)

Access a vast chess game database, save and analyze your own games, and practice openings. This app offers advanced notation and sharing features, with a free tier and optional premium upgrades for more extensive cloud storage and search capabilities.

**Highlights:** Access 13+ million chess games, Save and sync personal game databases, Analyze games with built-in engine, Live opening book statistics, Create and practice opening repertoires, Advanced game notation and sharing, PGN file compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChessBase Premium (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChessUp free?

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

### Is ChessBase Mobile Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ChessUp or ChessBase Mobile Chess?

ChessUp is rated higher. ChessUp averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while ChessBase Mobile Chess averages 2.9 from 18 ratings.

### Do ChessUp or ChessBase Mobile Chess have ads?

Neither ChessUp nor ChessBase Mobile Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChessUp or ChessBase Mobile Chess?

ChessUp ships an update every 2 weeks, and ChessBase Mobile Chess every 6 months. Most recently, ChessUp was updated on October 22, 2026 and ChessBase Mobile Chess on October 22, 2026.

---

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