# Chess vs Arctictopia

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Chess at 251 against Arctictopia's 4. Arctictopia's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and price ($4.99 vs $7.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Chess costs $7.99 and Arctictopia $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Arctictopia holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 251 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 100% of Arctictopia's.

Chess ships an update every 4 months, Arctictopia every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Arctictopia |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | [4.7 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-pro/id295445501/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arctictopia/id1535924867/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **251** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 88.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 7 MB | 272 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Gamtropy Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1265572045) |

## 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


### Arctictopia

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arctictopia/id1535924867)

Guide a mother polar bear across a melting Arctic landscape to reunite with her cub. Solve intricate puzzles with unique mechanics across 150 levels. Enjoy a charming, hand-drawn world with relaxing gameplay and adorable animal friends.

**Highlights:** 150 captivating levels, 10 unique mechanics, Hand-drawn Arctic world, Melting ice puzzle element, Relaxing gameplay with undo, Adorable animal characters

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Arctictopia free?

Arctictopia costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Arctictopia?

Arctictopia is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Arctictopia averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Chess or Arctictopia have ads?

Neither Chess nor Arctictopia shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Arctictopia?

Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Arctictopia every 6 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 24, 2026 and Arctictopia on August 28, 2026.

---

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