# Chess ∙ vs Chessplode

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against Chessplode's 5. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 545) and chart position (#70 vs unranked). Chessplode's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chessplode sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Chess ∙ against 4.5 for Chessplode. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 545, 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 61% of Chessplode's.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chessplode every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Chessplode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews) | [4.5 (545 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessplode/id1439047052/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 545 |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | **61.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#70** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Juan Manuel Altamirano Argudo](https://appshunter.io/developer/391953849) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856)

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Free · Strategy, #105 Top Free · Board (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Chessplode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessplode/id1439047052)

This app offers a unique twist on chess where capturing a piece causes others in the same line and column to explode. It's designed to be fun and accessible, even for those who aren't skilled at traditional chess, offering both single-player and multiplayer modes.

**Highlights:** Exploding pieces on capture, Real-time multiplayer battles, User-created levels, Local multiplayer mode, AI opponent practice, Customizable color themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| +100 Undos | $0.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Massive Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| INFINITE UNDOS | $1.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick gameplay
- 👍 Beautiful and fun game
- 👍 Fantastic and great fun twist on chess
- 👍 Lovely little game
- 👍 Chess with a new challenge

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Won't open or get stuck
- 🐛 Issues with king movement and checkmate detection
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 AI issues with thinking and repeating moves
- 🐛 Overly difficult, even at easy levels

**Reported bugs**

- Won't open or get stuck on certain screens
- Issues with king movement and checkmate detection
- Crashes and freezes, especially when AI is thinking
- AI issues with thinking and repeating moves

**Requested features**

- Add local multiplayer mode
- Add classic chess mode
- Add more basic puzzles
- Add ability to go back to previous levels
- Add option to remove explosions


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ∙ free?

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

### Is Chessplode free?

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

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

Chess ∙ and Chessplode are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 205K and 545 ratings respectively.

### Do Chess ∙ or Chessplode have ads?

Both Chess ∙ and Chessplode show ads.

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

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Chessplode every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 27, 2026 and Chessplode on September 2, 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.*