# Chess vs Chess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess at none against Chess's 2. Chess also leads on price ($0.99 vs $3.99). Chess's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Chess costs $0.99 and Chess $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 Chess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 77 and 118 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 92% of Chess's.

Chess ships an update every 5 months, Chess fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-lite/id296756437/reviews) | **[4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 77 | **118** |
| Positive reviews | 85.1% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 237 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) | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545)

Manage and study chess databases and games in PGN format with advanced analysis tools. Supports game creation, modification, and import from various sources. Includes engine analysis, opening book management, and puzzle training.

**Highlights:** PGN database and game management, Create, modify, and import games, Advanced engine analysis with Stockfish, Opening book and ChessBase support, Chess 960 (Fischer Random) support, Diagram recognition for PGN conversion, Puzzle training and online play

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $8.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Powerful chess database features
- 👍 Comprehensive analysis tools
- 👍 Excellent PGN management
- 👍 Great value for price
- 👍 Frequent updates and improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Some users find it confusing
- 🐛 Missing dark mode

**Reported bugs**

- Problem saving updated game data
- Engine stopped working after 30 seconds
- App crashes when adding annotations without hitting 'edit mode' first
- Crash opening .pgn in landscape mode
- Crashes when selecting a cell with 0 games associated

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Add board flip button
- Improve interface for screen reader users
- Add private game feature with code
- Add computer whole game analysis with annotations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

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

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.6 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while Chess averages 4.7 from 118 ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess have ads?

Neither Chess nor Chess shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update every 5 months, and Chess fortnightly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chess on October 14, 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.*