# Chess Genius vs Chess without ads

The clearest difference is price: Chess without ads at Free against Chess Genius's $5.99. Chess without ads also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 12 months). Chess Genius's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess without ads is free to download; Chess Genius costs $5.99 up front. Chess without ads sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per 7 days. Chess Genius asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess without ads holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess without ads has 39K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Chess Genius's written reviews are positive against 91% of Chess without ads's.

Chess Genius ships an update every 12 months, Chess without ads fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Genius | Chess without ads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-genius/id294631172/reviews) | **[4.7 (39K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-without-ads/id522314512/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **39K** |
| Positive reviews | 78.9% of reviews | **90.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 2 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lang Software Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/294631175) | [Christophe Théron](https://appshunter.io/developer/423198262) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Genius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-genius/id294631172)

This award-winning chess program offers superb playing strength with hundreds of levels for all skill sets. It features a clear interface, displays game analysis, and allows for saving, loading, and sharing games. Enjoy features like hints, legal move displays, and unlimited take-backs.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of playing levels, Displays thinking and analysis, Save/load games in PGN format, Hint and Tutor features, Unlimited take back, 2 player and self-play modes

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💪 Strong chess engine
- 🧠 Good for learning and practice
- ✨ Classic and well-established program
- 👍 Simple and effective interface
- 🚀 Fast performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📉 Outdated graphics
- 🐌 Slow updates
- ⚠️ Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- ❓ Confusing interface/menus

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently, especially when ending games
- Cannot access settings
- App crashes when starting new game or changing settings
- Not working with iOS 17
- Not working with iOS 14.3

**Requested features**

- Update for iOS compatibility
- Refresh and update the app
- Take advantage of iOS file app features
- Specify opening repertoire training
- Don't let playing style be trainer/hint man


### Chess without ads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-without-ads/id522314512)

Learn and play chess without distractions. This app offers guided lessons for beginners and advanced analysis for experts, helping you improve your game with intelligent suggestions and post-game reviews. Play offline and enjoy a seamless, ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Ad-free learning and play, Introductory lessons for beginners, Grandmaster move suggestions, Game analysis with good/bad moves, Supports USCF and FIDE rating scales, Strong mobile chess engine, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO, 1 week | $0.49 | per 7 days |
| PRO, 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| PRO, 3 months | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Learn chess | $4.99 | one-time |
| PRO, for life (SALE!) | $9.99 | one-time |
| PRO, for life (regular price) | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent chess training tool
- 🚀 Customizable difficulty levels
- 💡 Helpful move suggestions
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🚀 No ads or distractions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free version with paid upgrade
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💡 Desire for more chess variants and modes
- 🔒 Aggressive prompts to upgrade to paid version

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on the login screen
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Inconsistent behavior when running out of free credits

**Requested features**

- Add more chess variants (3-check, king of the hill, etc.)
- Provide more detailed game analysis and feedback
- Improve the en passant move functionality
- Add online/multiplayer capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Genius free?

Chess Genius costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess without ads free?

Chess without ads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Genius or Chess without ads?

Chess without ads is rated higher. Chess Genius averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Chess without ads averages 4.7 from 39K ratings.

### Do Chess Genius or Chess without ads have ads?

Neither Chess Genius nor Chess without ads shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Genius or Chess without ads?

Chess Genius ships an update every 12 months, and Chess without ads fortnightly. Most recently, Chess Genius was updated on November 6, 2026 and Chess without ads on November 7, 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.*