# Chess ∙ vs SparkChess Pro

The clearest difference is price: Chess ∙ at Free against SparkChess Pro's $24.99. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (205K vs 42) and chart position (#79 vs unranked). SparkChess Pro's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Chess ∙ is free to download; SparkChess Pro costs $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Chess ∙ against 4.4 for SparkChess Pro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 42, 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 SparkChess Pro's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | SparkChess Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $24.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews)** | [4.4 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkchess-pro/id398133128/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 42 |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | **60.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#79** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Media Division SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/398133131) |

## 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


### SparkChess Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkchess-pro/id398133128)

This ancient strategy game offers a fun and accessible experience for all skill levels. Practice against the computer, challenge friends online, or learn with interactive lessons and puzzles. Features include various board styles, a virtual coach, and progress tracking.

**Highlights:** Practice against computer or friends, Interactive lessons and puzzles, Multiple board styles (2D, 3D, fantasy), Virtual Chess Coach, Multiplayer progress tracking, Save and replay games

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ∙ free?

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

### Is SparkChess Pro free?

SparkChess Pro costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or SparkChess Pro?

Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while SparkChess Pro averages 4.4 from 42 ratings.

### Do Chess ∙ or SparkChess Pro have ads?

Chess ∙ shows ads; SparkChess Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or SparkChess Pro?

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and SparkChess Pro every 4 months. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 26, 2026 and SparkChess Pro on September 23, 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.*