# Chess ∙ vs Chess Prime

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Prime at none against Chess ∙'s shown. Chess Prime also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (84% vs 57%). Chess ∙'s advantage is ratings volume (205K vs 71) and chart position (#87 vs unranked). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 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 Chess Prime. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 71, 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 84% of Chess Prime's.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chess Prime every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and August 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Chess Prime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (205K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews)** | [4.4 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime/id632959906/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205K** | 71 |
| Positive reviews | 56.9% of reviews | **83.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#87** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Vinta Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/505409005) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

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

**Currently charting:** #87 Top Free · Strategy, #123 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 Prime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime/id632959906)

This app offers a challenging chess experience for players of all levels. It features a versatile AI engine, customizable game modes, and helpful tools for beginners. Save your progress and replay games to improve your skills.

**Highlights:** One player and two player modes, Challenging AI with flexible difficulty, Start from any position, Save and load games, Show legal moves for beginners, Undo and redo moves

**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 Chess Prime free?

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

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

Chess ∙ is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 205K ratings, while Chess Prime averages 4.4 from 71 ratings.

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

Chess ∙ shows ads; Chess Prime does not.

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

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Prime every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on September 30, 2026 and Chess Prime on August 28, 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.*