# Chess ∙ vs Chess Premium

The clearest difference is price: Chess ∙ at Free against Chess Premium's $9.99. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 5.2K) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Chess Premium's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 57%). On update cadence, in-app purchases, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess ∙ is free to download; Chess Premium costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Chess Premium holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 5.2K, 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 80% of Chess Premium's.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chess Premium every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Chess Premium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [4.5 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews) | **[4.7 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 5.2K |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | **80.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #76 | **#43** |
| Size | 84 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

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

**Currently charting:** #76 Top Free · Strategy, #108 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


### Chess Premium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Paid · Board, #121 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Enjoy a classic chess experience without ads or internet. Play against a challenging AI with adjustable difficulty or a friend offline. Features stunning visuals, instant auto-saves, and undo support for uninterrupted gameplay.

**Highlights:** No ads or internet required, Adjustable AI difficulty levels, Offline two-player mode, Stunning Retina display visuals, Instant auto-save, Undo support and score tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing chess
- 🚀 Fast gameplay
- 💡 Adjustable difficulty levels
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 No ads in premium version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Issues with detecting checkmate
- 🐛 Pawns moving incorrectly
- 🐛 Pieces disappearing from the board
- 🐛 Slow performance in premium version

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect checkmate detection
- Pawns moving in illegal ways
- Pieces randomly disappearing
- Slow performance after upgrade
- Ads still showing after purchase

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off stalemate
- Ability to save and load games
- Notation or move history display
- More board and piece theme options
- Tutorials or strategic tips


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ∙ free?

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

### Is Chess Premium free?

Chess Premium costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess Premium is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Chess Premium averages 4.7 from 5.2K ratings.

### Do Chess ∙ or Chess Premium have ads?

Chess ∙ shows ads; Chess Premium does not.

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

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Premium every 3 months. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 26, 2026 and Chess Premium on September 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Chess ∙ or Chess Premium?

Chess ∙ currently peaks at #76 in the App Store charts, and Chess Premium at #43. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*