# Chess ∙ vs Shogi Lite

The clearest difference is ads: Shogi Lite at none against Chess ∙'s shown. Shogi Lite also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Chess ∙'s advantage is ratings volume (207K vs 12) and chart position (#64 vs unranked). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases 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 4.6 for Shogi Lite. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 207K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 56% and 55% positive.

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Shogi Lite every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ∙ | Shogi Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (207K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id311395856/reviews) | **[4.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-lite-chess/id737135884/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **207K** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **56.3% of reviews** | 55.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#64** | — |
| Size | 84 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Shigeo Mimura](https://appshunter.io/developer/704921892) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ∙

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

**Currently charting:** #64 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


### Shogi Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-lite-chess/id737135884)

A digital adaptation of the ancient Japanese board game, offering a strategic challenge similar to chess. Players can capture opponent pieces and redeploy them on the board, adding a unique tactical layer to gameplay.

**Highlights:** Classic Shogi gameplay, Piece capture and redeployment, Two-player strategy, Similar to Chess and Xiangqi, Digital board game adaptation

**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 Shogi Lite free?

Shogi Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Shogi Lite is rated higher. Chess ∙ averages 4.5 out of 5 from 207K ratings, while Shogi Lite averages 4.6 from 12 ratings.

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

Chess ∙ shows ads; Shogi Lite does not.

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

Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, and Shogi Lite every 6 weeks. Most recently, Chess ∙ was updated on October 29, 2026 and Shogi Lite on October 22, 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.*