# Chess ∙ vs Mini Chess 5x5

The clearest difference is rating: Chess ∙ at 4.5 against Mini Chess 5x5's 3.5. Chess ∙ also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (205K vs 79). Mini Chess 5x5's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mini Chess 5x5 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess ∙ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 79, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 43% of Mini Chess 5x5's.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Mini Chess 5x5 every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Mini Chess 5x5 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews)** | [3.5 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-5x5/id1457707362/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 79 |
| Positive reviews | **56.9% of reviews** | 43.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#79** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Golmium](https://appshunter.io/developer/887238485) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

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

**Currently charting:** #79 Top Free · Strategy, #106 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


### Mini Chess 5x5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-5x5/id1457707362)

Experience a unique chess variant on a 5x5 board. Play against AI with adjustable difficulty or use it as a physical board for two players. Enjoy a streamlined chess experience with simplified rules.

**Highlights:** 5x5 chess board variant, Play against computer AI, Multiple AI difficulty levels, Two-player mode, Simplified chess rules

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mini Chess 5x5 full version | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ∙ free?

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

### Is Mini Chess 5x5 free?

Mini Chess 5x5 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Mini Chess 5x5?

Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Mini Chess 5x5 averages 3.5 from 79 ratings.

### Do Chess ∙ or Mini Chess 5x5 have ads?

Chess ∙ shows ads; Mini Chess 5x5 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Mini Chess 5x5?

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Mini Chess 5x5 every 12 months. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 26, 2026 and Mini Chess 5x5 on September 18, 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.*