# Chess vs Chessable

Chess and Chessable both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 50% of Chessable's. Chess also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Chessable's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and ratings volume (5.9K vs 200). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chessable sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.8 for Chessable. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chessable has 5.9K ratings behind it against 200, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 50% of Chessable's.

Chess ships an update every 9 months, Chessable every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chessable |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-chess/id305309870/reviews) | **[4.8 (5.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessable-study-chess-smarter/id1523279049/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 200 | **5.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.4% of reviews** | 49.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 5 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-chess/id305309870)

Discover the world of chess with this interactive e-book. Learn the rules, terminology, and essential strategies through engaging content and practice moves with interactive diagrams. Improve your game, whether you're a beginner or looking to refine your skills.

**Highlights:** Interactive e-book format, Teaches rules and terminology, Covers essential strategies, Interactive diagram feature, Practice legal moves

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chessable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessable-study-chess-smarter/id1523279049)

Master chess openings, tactics, and endgames with a science-backed system. Learn from top players and retain moves through spaced repetition. Track your progress and join a community of players improving their game.

**Highlights:** Spaced repetition system, 1,000+ chess courses, Learn from top players, MoveTrainer® for practice, Offline mode (PRO), Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chessable Monthly Membership | $11.99 | per month |
| Chessable Annual Membership | $74.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent learning tool
- 📚 Comprehensive chess courses
- 🧠 Effective spaced repetition
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎥 Helpful video instruction

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited search and navigation
- 📵 Lack of offline access
- 🔒 Issues with paid subscription
- 🖥️ Inferior to web version

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent login and account issues
- Unreliable offline functionality
- Glitches with move tracking and progress
- Video playback problems

**Requested features**

- Analysis board and opening explorer
- Ability to customize font size
- Landscape mode support
- Improved video playback controls
- Syncing progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chessable free?

Chessable is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Chessable is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 200 ratings, while Chessable averages 4.8 from 5.9K ratings.

### Do Chess or Chessable have ads?

Neither Chess nor Chessable shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update every 9 months, and Chessable every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 22, 2026 and Chessable on September 24, 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.*