# Chess vs Chess Premium

The clearest difference is price: Chess at $0.99 against Chess Premium's $9.99. Chess Premium's advantage is ratings volume (5.4K vs 78) and chart position (#40 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Chess costs $0.99 and Chess Premium $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Chess against 4.7 for Chess Premium. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Premium has 5.4K ratings behind it against 78, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 80% of Chess Premium's.

Chess ships an update every 5 months, Chess Premium every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess Premium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-lite/id296756437/reviews) | **[4.7 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 78 | **5.4K** |
| Positive reviews | **85.1% of reviews** | 80.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#40** |
| Size | 6 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-lite/id296756437)

Enjoy a classic chess experience on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. This app offers a clean interface, beautiful graphics, and intuitive gameplay perfect for casual players. Play against a computer opponent, review game history, and track your progress.

**Highlights:** 1- or 2-player games on one device, Tap-to-move piece selection, Highlights legal moves, Full game history and move list, Built-in chess clock, Get hint feature, Undo moves

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Helpful hints and features
- 🎨 Excellent graphics and visuals
- 🧠 Challenging AI opponent

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔍 Limited difficulty levels
- 🤖 AI can be predictable at times
- 💤 Lack of online/multiplayer options

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent pawn movement rules
- Stalemate issues and computer refusing to resign
- Connectivity problems with Game Center

**Requested features**

- Ability to set up custom board positions
- More difficulty levels and ELO ratings
- Online/multiplayer functionality
- Notification options for opponent moves
- Chess puzzle/training mode


### Chess Premium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Paid · Board, #111 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Enjoy a classic chess experience without ads or internet. Play against a challenging AI with adjustable difficulty or a friend offline. Features stunning visuals, instant auto-saves, and undo support for uninterrupted gameplay.

**Highlights:** No ads or internet required, Adjustable AI difficulty levels, Offline two-player mode, Stunning Retina display visuals, Instant auto-save, Undo support and score tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing chess
- 🚀 Fast gameplay
- 💡 Adjustable difficulty levels
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 No ads in premium version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Issues with detecting checkmate
- 🐛 Pawns moving incorrectly
- 🐛 Pieces disappearing from the board
- 🐛 Slow performance in premium version

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect checkmate detection
- Pawns moving in illegal ways
- Pieces randomly disappearing
- Slow performance after upgrade
- Ads still showing after purchase

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off stalemate
- Ability to save and load games
- Notation or move history display
- More board and piece theme options
- Tutorials or strategic tips


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Premium free?

Chess Premium costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess Premium is rated higher. Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 78 ratings, while Chess Premium averages 4.7 from 5.4K ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess Premium have ads?

Neither Chess nor Chess Premium shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update every 5 months, and Chess Premium every 3 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 26, 2026 and Chess Premium on October 26, 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.*