# Chess ∙ vs Shogi Wars

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess ∙ at none against Shogi Wars's 13. Chess ∙ also leads on ratings volume (207K vs 136) and chart position (#55 vs unranked). Shogi Wars's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 4 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shogi Wars sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month. Chess ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Shogi Wars holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 207K ratings behind it against 136, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 47% of Shogi Wars's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Shogi Wars every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Shogi Wars |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (207K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews) | **[4.7 (136 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-wars/id496801169/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **207K** | 136 |
| Positive reviews | **56.3% of reviews** | 46.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#55** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 318 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [HEROZ](https://appshunter.io/developer/463257939) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

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

**Currently charting:** #55 Top Free · Strategy, #89 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


### Shogi Wars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-wars/id496801169)

Experience the strategic depth of Japanese chess with this app, offering fast-paced online and offline matches for all skill levels. Earn official diplomas and enjoy a realistic Shogi experience with advanced AI and customizable game modes.

**Highlights:** Online and offline Shogi matches, World-class AI opponent, Multiple time controls (10MIN, 3MIN, 10SEC), Official rank system (dan/kyu), Apply for official dan diplomas, Fancy graphics and performance

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Subscription) | $5.49 | per month |
| Kishin Learning (Subscription) | $7.99 | per month |
| Super Premium (Subscription) | $8.49 | per month |
| Kishin×1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pawn toss ticket×1 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Premium (30 days) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Kishin×13 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Kishin analysis ticket x 26 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Kishin×27 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Kishin×166 | $99.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ∙ free?

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

### Is Shogi Wars free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Shogi Wars?

Shogi Wars is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 207K ratings, while Shogi Wars averages 4.7 from 136 ratings.

### Do Chess ∙ or Shogi Wars have ads?

Chess ∙ shows ads; Shogi Wars does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Shogi Wars?

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Shogi Wars every 4 weeks. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on November 1, 2026 and Shogi Wars on November 1, 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.*