# Chess vs Mini Chess 5x5

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 89% against Mini Chess 5x5's 43%. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Mini Chess 5x5's advantage is price (Free vs $7.99) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Mini Chess 5x5 is free to download; Chess costs $7.99 up front. Mini Chess 5x5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 251 and 79 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 43% of Mini Chess 5x5's.

Chess ships an update every 4 months, Mini Chess 5x5 every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Mini Chess 5x5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-pro/id295445501/reviews)** | [3.5 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-5x5/id1457707362/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **251** | 79 |
| Positive reviews | **88.6% of reviews** | 43.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 7 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **18.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Golmium](https://appshunter.io/developer/887238485) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-pro/id295445501)

This app offers a high-quality chess experience for players of all levels, from beginners to professionals. It features a strong engine, analysis tools, and learning resources to improve your game.

**Highlights:** Simulated human opponents for beginners, Top-tier chess engine for experts, Real-time game analysis, 1 or 2-player game support, Opening Library and PGN Database, Position Editor, Rated games and progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Enjoyable and challenging
- 🚀 Plays solid openings and variations
- 👍 Thoroughly enjoyable for novice players
- 👍 Great for beginners and seasoned players
- 👍 Rated games help track progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes after updates
- 🐛 Inaccurate rating system
- 🐛 Bright screen background can be tiring
- 🐛 Clunky online game menu

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when creating annotations
- Zoomed-in screen issue when returning to the app
- Difficulty settings not accurately reflecting the AI's strength

**Requested features**

- Add chess puzzles
- Provide more board and piece style options
- Implement a resign feature and draw offer
- Add a move evaluation bar
- Improve the online multiplayer experience


### Mini Chess 5x5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-5x5/id1457707362)

Experience a unique chess variant on a 5x5 board. Play against AI with adjustable difficulty or use it as a physical board for two players. Enjoy a streamlined chess experience with simplified rules.

**Highlights:** 5x5 chess board variant, Play against computer AI, Multiple AI difficulty levels, Two-player mode, Simplified chess rules

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mini Chess 5x5 full version | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mini Chess 5x5 free?

Mini Chess 5x5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Mini Chess 5x5?

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Mini Chess 5x5 averages 3.5 from 79 ratings.

### Do Chess or Mini Chess 5x5 have ads?

Neither Chess nor Mini Chess 5x5 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Mini Chess 5x5?

Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Mini Chess 5x5 every 12 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 24, 2026 and Mini Chess 5x5 on September 18, 2026.

---

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