Comparison

Chess vs Mastersoft Chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess

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
Read full description

tChess Pro is the high-quality, critically acclaimed chess game with the richest features for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It's perfect for every player: Beginners: Not everybody is a chess master! Most chess games are too strong or just make random mistakes at easier levels. tChess Pro has unique algorithms to simulate human opponents. Experts: tChess Pro has a top-tier chess engine. (Over 380 ELO points stronger than Caissa Chess.) Enthusiasts: tChess Pro's Analysis Mode is like having a chess master in your pocket. You can get the engine's "expert opinion" about any game or position in real-time: which side is winning, and the best sequence of moves. Just like a professional desktop chess package. More key features: - Perfect for 1- or 2-player games - Strong computer opponent - Play against any ELO rating from 500 to 2500 - Integrated "Learn Chess" e-book app (Apple Staff Favorite!) - Opening Library feature lets you explore chess opening theory as you play - PGN Database feature lets you download and view PGN files - Support for 3-stage time controls with Fischer increments - Position Editor to enter positions from books, newspapers, etc. - Save and load games; export them in standard PGN format - Use the Profile feature to play rated games against the computer and track your progress tChess Pro is developed by Tom Kerrigan, author of the TSCP and Stobor chess engines.

About

Mastersoft Chess

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive app. Learn step-by-step, play against adaptive AI across 100 difficulty levels, and sharpen your skills with thousands of puzzles. Enjoy offline play and track your progress with an ELO rating.

Highlights
  • 100 difficulty levels
  • Interactive learning coach
  • Thousands of chess puzzles
  • Adaptive AI opponent
  • ELO rating tracker
  • Multiple game modes
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Chess – Learn Chess, Play Chess & Train Like a Grandmaster Learn chess step by step, play chess at any level, and train with the ultimate chess app for iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re a complete beginner learning chess or a competitive player mastering advanced tactics, this chess trainer gives you everything you need. Powered by an award-winning chess engine, you can play chess at up to 150 difficulty levels – from beginner to grandmaster. With adaptive AI, automatic ELO ratings, multiplayer modes, and thousands of chess puzzles, every match is a new challenge. No account required. Just download and start playing chess instantly. Key Features • 150 Levels of Chess – from beginner to expert strength and way beyond. • Learn Chess Easily – built-in trainer and interactive coach. • Adaptive AI – feels like playing against a real opponent. • Chess Puzzles & Tactics – thousands of puzzles to sharpen skills. • ELO Rating Tracker – follow your progress and growth. • Openings & Famous Games – study proven strategies. • Multiple Modes – Classic, Blitz, Training, 2-Player, and Analysis. • Custom Boards & Sets – from traditional to modern themes. • Full Chess Rules – castling, pawn promotion, en passant, and more. • Offline Play – play chess anywhere, no login or internet needed. Why Choose This Chess App? • Beginners can learn chess step by step. • Casual players can play chess for fun or practice. • Puzzle lovers can solve thousands of chess tactics. • Competitors can train like grandmasters with real challenge. Whether you enjoy slow strategy, fast blitz chess, or deep puzzle-solving, this chess app adapts to your style. Always challenging, always fun. End User License Agreement ("Agreement") (EULA) https://www.mastersoft.biz/eula.htm Privacy policy https://www.mastersoft.biz/privacy.htm

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Mastersoft Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Mastersoft Chess at Free against Chess's $7.99. Mastersoft Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 251). Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and review sentiment 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

Mastersoft Chess is free to download; Chess costs $7.99 up front. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.7 for Mastersoft Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastersoft Chess has 1.5K ratings behind it against 251, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 90% of Mastersoft Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 4 months, Mastersoft Chess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Chess versus Mastersoft Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessMastersoft Chess
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (251 ratings)4.7 (1.5K ratings)
Positive reviews88.6% of reviews90.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2511.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB277 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperTom KerriganMastersoft

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings251 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral3.6%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews414 reviews
Positive88.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative5.1%

Mastersoft Chess

All ratings1,549 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews2,033 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.5%

User reviews

Chess

From 251 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Mastersoft Chess

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great learning tool
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 💡 Helpful training mode
  • 👍 Challenging at higher levels
  • 👍 Customizable board and pieces

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🔍 Unclear move suggestions
  • 🤖 Computer plays too strong at times

Bugs and requests

Chess

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

6 requests
  • 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
Show 1 more
  • Provide a way to organize and navigate through game databases

Mastersoft Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pawn disappearing issue when castling
  • Ratings not updating properly after games
  • Crashes on certain iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • More detailed explanations for suggested moves
  • Option to play against other users online
  • Ability to set up custom board positions
  • Slower computer move speeds for beginners

In-app purchases

None

Chess

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Mastersoft Chess

Subscriptions1
  • Chess Pro for 1 month.$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • Buy Chess Pro.$2.99
  • Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off.$9.95

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mastersoft Chess free?
Mastersoft Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Mastersoft Chess?
Chess and Mastersoft Chess are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 251 and 1.5K ratings respectively.
Do Chess or Mastersoft Chess have ads?
Mastersoft Chess shows ads; Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Mastersoft Chess?
Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Mastersoft Chess every 5 days. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 24, 2026 and Mastersoft Chess on September 25, 2026.

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