Chess ∙ vs Play Chess for iMessage
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess ∙
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.
- 1 and 2 player gameplay
- Challenging computer opponent
- Great graphics and sound
- Configurable difficulty
- Undo function
- Automatic save
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Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPhone? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free is the best chess game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it's free! Chess Free supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you get a phone call or exit the application Chess Free is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising. Chess Premium is the same great app without the ads.
Play Chess for iMessage
Engage in unlimited chess matches directly through iMessage with friends. Customize your game with different boards and pieces. Enjoy a casual, timer-free experience without registration or in-app purchases.
- Unlimited chess games
- Play via iMessage
- Customizable boards and pieces
- Play multiple friends simultaneously
- No timers or ratings
- No registration required
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Play unlimited chess games with your friends via iMessage! Chess, ajedrez, xadrez, satranç, scacchi, schach, șah, šachy, şahmat… no matter the language, no matter the name, it's known as the best strategy game in the world. - Choose your favorite board and pieces! - Play multiple friends at once! - Keep it fun, friendly and casual! No timers or ratings to worry about - and no registration required. - App is 100% free - with no in-app purchases. Playing chess has never been so easy! Chess is the most popular game of all time! And Chess.com is the #1 place to play chess online with your friends and other players from all over the world! Please share your suggestions and comments with us. Our support team is happy to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! ABOUT CHESS.COM: Chess.com is created by chess players and people who love chess! Team: http://www.chess.com/about Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chess Twitter: http://twitter.com/chesscom YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/wwwchesscom TwitchTV: http://www.twitch.com/chess
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Chess ∙ at 4.5 against Play Chess for iMessage's 3.1. Chess ∙ also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 29%) and ratings volume (207K vs 170). Play Chess for iMessage's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 4 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Chess ∙ holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 207K ratings behind it against 170, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 29% of Play Chess for iMessage's.
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Play Chess for iMessage daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess ∙ | Play Chess for iMessage |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (207K ratings) — better | 3.1 (170 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 56.3% of reviews — better | 29.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 207K — better | 170 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Daily — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #64 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optime Software LLC | Chess.com |
Customer experience
Chess ∙
Play Chess for iMessage
User reviews
Chess ∙
From 207K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun to play everyday
- 👍 Good free game
- 👍 Nice little game
- 👍 Very good practice
- 👍 Addictive
Room to improve
- 🐛 AD crazy
- 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
- 🐛 Force draw
- 🐛 Issues, needs fixing but has potential
- 🐛 Disappearing Pieces
Play Chess for iMessage
From 170 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to play without knowing chess rules
- 🎮 Fun gameplay mechanics for iMessage
- 🎨 Theme customizer available
- 🔄 Move guide and helpful features
- 🎬 Can convert wins to GIF format
Room to improve
- 🚫 Cannot uninstall app (major recurring issue)
- 🐛 iCloud login error persists despite being logged in
- ❌ App doesn't show on home screen
- 🔄 Must exit and reopen app to see opponent's moves
- ⚠️ Only playable in portrait mode
Bugs and requests
Chess ∙
Reported bugs
10 issues- 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
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- Refuses to allow legitimate win, claims draw instead
- Doesn't recognize stalemate
- Doesn't recognize checkmate
- Pieces disappearing
- Illegal moves by the AI
Requested features
6 requests- 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
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- Ability to turn off draw by stalemate rule
Play Chess for iMessage
Reported bugs
11 issues- iCloud authentication error when already logged in
- App cannot be uninstalled from device
- No home screen icon appears after installation
- Game doesn't work with group chats over 2 people
- Time calculation error giving opponent extra time
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- Unconfirmed moves being made automatically
- App freezes requiring phone restart
- First move triggers iCloud login requirement
- Message send failures requiring game restart
- VPN blocks app functionality
- Haptic feedback cannot be disabled
Requested features
11 requests- Confirmation dialog for accidental game reviews
- Uninstall functionality
- Ability to choose piece color or randomize
- CPU/AI opponent mode
- Fischer random chess mode
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- Android cross-platform compatibility
- Sticker support
- Haptic feedback toggle option
- Auto-update moves without closing app
- Resend option for failed messages
- Link chess.com account integration
In-app purchases
Chess ∙
No in-app purchases
Play Chess for iMessage
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess ∙ free?
Is Play Chess for iMessage free?
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Play Chess for iMessage?
Do Chess ∙ or Play Chess for iMessage have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Play Chess for iMessage?
Other comparisons
