Comparison

ChessUp vs zenkari

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ChessUp

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
Read full description

ChessUp is a companion app for the ChessUp smart chessboard. The app provides chess game archives and analysis. The app can link with the chessboard over BLE to provide live Ai assistance. The app can also provide an internet connection for the board in order to play remote chess opponents on various chess platforms.

About

zenkari

A native Akari puzzle game for iPhone and iPad. Place lanterns to light up the board while avoiding conflicts. Offers various puzzle types, daily challenges, and optional Game Center integration.

Highlights
  • Touch-friendly grids with haptics
  • Multiple Akari variations
  • Procedurally generated puzzles
  • Daily challenge with target time
  • Optional Game Center integration
  • Accessibility features
Features
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zenkari is a native Akari (Light Up) puzzle app for iPhone and iPad. Place lanterns on open cells, satisfy numbered walls, and light the whole board — without two lanterns shining at each other. CLASSIC RULES, MODERN PLAY • Touch-friendly grids with clear feedback, haptics, and optional conflict highlighting • Step-by-step tutorial for new players • Timer, marks, sound, and appearance options (system, light, or dark) PUZZLE VARIETY • Standard Akari plus variations such as coloured light, mirrors, twins, queens (diagonal rays), regional boards, and hex grids • Procedurally generated boards by difficulty and size • Bundled puzzle packs and import support DAILY CHALLENGE & GAME CENTER (OPTIONAL) • A new puzzle each day with a target time • Leaderboards, achievements, and fastest-time previews per board size • Game Center sign-in is optional — core solo play does not require an account ACCESSIBILITY • VoiceOver labels on the grid • Dynamic Type in navigation and settings • Reduce Motion support PRIVACY Saved games, settings, and local progress stay on your device. The app may show ads to help keep zenkari free. See the privacy policy for details on advertising, analytics, and App Tracking Transparency. Akari and Light Up refer to the puzzle type. Nikoli and other third-party names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Screenshots

ChessUp4 screens
zenkari4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: zenkari at 100% against ChessUp's 54%. zenkari also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). ChessUp's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (2.7K vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

zenkari holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChessUp has 2.7K ratings behind it against 1, 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 100% of zenkari's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessUp ships an update every 2 weeks, zenkari every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ChessUp versus zenkari: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessUpzenkari
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (2.7K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.7K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size218 MB35 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBryght Labs Inc.JEREMY S WEBER

Customer experience

ChessUp

All ratings2,658 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral12.2%
Negative33.3%

zenkari

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

ChessUp

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Moves not registering
  • Bluetooth connectivity issues
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Sync issues between app and board
  • Lessons not working properly
Show 1 more
  • Chess.com integration problems

Requested features

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

zenkari

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

ChessUp

No in-app purchases

None

zenkari

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChessUp free?
ChessUp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is zenkari free?
zenkari is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ChessUp or zenkari?
zenkari is rated higher. ChessUp averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while zenkari averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do ChessUp or zenkari have ads?
zenkari shows ads; ChessUp does not.
Which is updated more often, ChessUp or zenkari?
ChessUp ships an update every 2 weeks, and zenkari every 10 days. Most recently, ChessUp was updated on October 27, 2026 and zenkari on October 11, 2026.

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