# Chess vs Mastersoft Chess

The clearest difference is price: Mastersoft Chess at Free against Chess's $0.99. Mastersoft Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 77). 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.

Mastersoft Chess is free to download; Chess costs $0.99 up front. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 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 77, 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 90% of Mastersoft Chess's.

Chess ships an update every 5 months, Mastersoft Chess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Mastersoft Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-lite/id296756437/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 77 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 85.4% of reviews | **90.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 6 MB | 277 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) |

## 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


### Mastersoft Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Pro for 1 month. | $2.99 | per month |
| Buy Chess Pro. | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off. | $9.95 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $0.99, 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?

Mastersoft Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Mastersoft Chess averages 4.7 from 1.5K ratings.

### 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 5 months, and Mastersoft Chess every 5 days. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 21, 2026 and Mastersoft Chess on September 25, 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.*