Comparison

Chess ∙ vs Chessify

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

Head to head
About

Chess ∙

Experience a visually appealing and engaging chess game on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Play against friends or a customizable AI opponent with features like undo and automatic saving. Enjoy a free, ad-supported experience.

Highlights
  • 1 and 2 player gameplay
  • Challenging computer opponent
  • Great graphics and sound
  • Configurable difficulty
  • Undo function
  • Automatic save
Features
Read full description

Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPhone? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free is the best chess game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it's free! Chess Free supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you get a phone call or exit the application Chess Free is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising. Chess Premium is the same great app without the ads.

About

Chessify

This app offers advanced chess analysis tools, including a real-time chessboard scanner, powerful cloud-based engines, and a unique video finder. Analyze games, puzzles, and learn chess theory with comprehensive features for players of all levels.

Highlights
  • Real chessboard scanner
  • Superfast cloud chess engine analysis
  • Video finder for chess positions
  • Offline play against Stockfish
  • Opening Explorer with Lichess database
  • Import/export FEN/PGN
  • Online real-time Blitz
Features
Read full description

Chessify is an all-in-one chess platform built for players who want to improve with professional-level chess tools. Analyze with powerful cloud engines running on servers up to 1024 threads and 1 Billion NPS speed, explore databases of 12 million+ professional games, scan real chessboards and books, prepare openings, and review games from anywhere. Features that once required heavy desktop software are now available in a single mobile app designed for players of all levels. Whether you’re solving puzzles, training openings, or analyzing tournament games, Chessify combines advanced chess tools into one fast and easy-to-use experience. Features: - Powerful Cloud Engine Analysis Analyze with Stockfish 18, Lc0, Berserk, Caissa, Crystal, Patricia, Viridithas, AsmFish, ShashChess, Koivisto, RubiChess, and Sugar AI chess engines on cloud servers with up to 1024 threads, reaching up to 1BN/s speed. - Mega Database Search through 10 million+ professional FIDE-rated games with move statistics, player ratings, and opening trends. - Correspondence Chess Database Study the 2 Million+ official ICCF database games played with deep engine-assisted preparation. - Scan 2D & 3D Chessboards Scan real boards and diagrams from books or screens with high accuracy and instantly analyze the position with Stockfish 18. - Chess PDF Scanner Import chess PDF books and scan positions directly from pages for quick analysis and study. - Play Against Stockfish Challenge one of the world’s strongest chess engines with adjustable strength settings. Play from initial or any given position. - PGN & Move Notation Create analysis files with multiple variations and comments or import your existing files and review them with your phone at any time. - Save Games & Analysis Store your games, analysis, and studies locally or in the cloud and access them anytime. - Import, Export, and Share PGN/FEN Easily import your games or export positions and analysis to share with chess friends or students. Whether you’re a beginner, club player, coach, or grandmaster, Chessify provides powerful analysis and training tools for every stage of your chess journey. Privacy Policy: https://chessify.me/privacy-policy Terms of Use / End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess ∙4 screens
Chessify4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against Chessify's 15. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 397) and chart position (#86 vs unranked). Chessify's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On price, rating and device support 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

Both are free to download. Chessify sells 15 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 — 4.5 for Chess ∙ against 4.4 for Chessify. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 397, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 46% of Chessify's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chessify monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Chess ∙ versus Chessify: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ∙Chessify
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (205K ratings) — better4.4 (397 ratings)
Positive reviews56.9% of reviews — better46.2% of reviews
Number of ratings205K — better397
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#86 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size84 MB139 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCChessify Inc.

Customer experience

Chess ∙

All ratings204,953 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews2,579 reviews
Positive56.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative36.1%

Chessify

All ratings397 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral2.8%
Negative11.8%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral10.3%
Negative43.6%

User reviews

Chess ∙

From 205K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun to play everyday
  • 👍 Good free game
  • 👍 Nice little game
  • 👍 Very good practice
  • 👍 Addictive

Room to improve

  • 🐛 AD crazy
  • 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
  • 🐛 Force draw
  • 🐛 Issues, needs fixing but has potential
  • 🐛 Disappearing Pieces

Chessify

From 397 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📸 Accurate chess board scanning from photos
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient position analysis
  • ☁️ Cloud-based powerful chess engine (Stockfish)
  • 💾 Easy PGN export and saving functionality
  • 📚 Perfect for studying chess books

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 📸 Inconsistent scanning accuracy
  • ❌ App doesn't work on iOS 18 and older versions
  • 💰 Expensive paywall with limited free features
  • 🔥 Device overheating issues reported

Bugs and requests

Chess ∙

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Rook being able to move diagonally
  • Stalemate glitch where it will preemptively call stalemate before it even happens
  • Call stalemate when only the king can't move, and the other pieces can still move
  • Pieces move too fast
  • Doesn't allow en-passant moves by pawns
Show 5 more
  • Refuses to allow legitimate win, claims draw instead
  • Doesn't recognize stalemate
  • Doesn't recognize checkmate
  • Pieces disappearing
  • Illegal moves by the AI

Requested features

6 requests
  • Undo from stalemate
  • Highland opponents last move in green and my last move in blue
  • Allow a third level of zoom to fill the screen
  • Display a numeric value when difficulty slider is moved
  • Ability to turn off safety where you can't move king to where it would get taken out
Show 1 more
  • Ability to turn off draw by stalemate rule

Chessify

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Black screen in camera view during scanning
  • Scanning omits first or last rank of board
  • App crashes when loading images
  • Buttons not clickable on certain iOS versions
  • Position not recognized from screenshots
Show 7 more
  • App closes immediately after opening
  • Board rotation lock resets to landscape
  • Analysis not visible unless switching apps
  • Scanning fails 3 out of 5 times
  • Subscription billing issues (wrong tier shown)
  • App doesn't load past starting screen
  • Photo library order reversed for board photos

Requested features

12 requests
  • Add move comments and annotations capability
  • Board flip option during gameplay
  • Auto-save functionality to prevent position loss
  • Ability to edit and extend saved games
  • Tactics puzzle mode with move verification
Show 7 more
  • Automatic analysis on position scan
  • Lc0 engine option
  • iPad version support
  • Lichess app integration
  • Move sound toggle persistence
  • Better indication of which side has advantage
  • Depth control for analysis (stop at specific depth)

In-app purchases

None

Chess ∙

No in-app purchases

15 purchases

Chessify

Subscriptions10
  • Bronze 1 Month$0.991 Month
  • Silver 1 month$2.491 Month
  • Gold 1 Month$7.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Bronze 12 months$7.991 Year
  • Amateur$12.991 Month
  • Silver 12 months$14.991 Year
  • Gold 12 months$49.991 Year
  • Master$59.991 Month
  • Amateur Yearly$129.991 Year
  • Master$559.991 Year
One-time5
  • SuperFast analysis - 1000 sec.$0.99
  • SuperFast analysis - 10000sec.$3.99
  • SuperFast analysis - 30000sec.$5.99
Show 2 more
  • SuperFast analysis - 100000sec$13.99
  • SuperFast analysis - unlimited$34.99

Questions

Is Chess ∙ free?
Chess ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chessify free?
Chessify is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Chessify?
Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Chessify averages 4.4 from 397 ratings.
Do Chess ∙ or Chessify have ads?
Chess ∙ shows ads; Chessify does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Chessify?
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Chessify monthly. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chessify on September 24, 2026.

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