# Chess Premium vs Sembl

The clearest difference is price: Sembl at Free against Chess Premium's $9.99. Sembl also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). Chess Premium's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.7 vs 4.2). On review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Sembl is free to download; Chess Premium costs $9.99 up front. Sembl sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Premium asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Premium holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Premium has 5.4K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Chess Premium's written reviews are positive against 74% of Sembl's.

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, Sembl every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Premium | Sembl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924/reviews)** | [4.2 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sembl/id1125056602/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.4K** | 21 |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 73.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#36** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Artgig Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/436414537) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Premium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924)

**Currently charting:** #36 Top Paid · Board, #103 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Enjoy a classic chess experience without ads or internet. Play against a challenging AI with adjustable difficulty or a friend offline. Features stunning visuals, instant auto-saves, and undo support for uninterrupted gameplay.

**Highlights:** No ads or internet required, Adjustable AI difficulty levels, Offline two-player mode, Stunning Retina display visuals, Instant auto-save, Undo support and score tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing chess
- 🚀 Fast gameplay
- 💡 Adjustable difficulty levels
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 No ads in premium version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Issues with detecting checkmate
- 🐛 Pawns moving incorrectly
- 🐛 Pieces disappearing from the board
- 🐛 Slow performance in premium version

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect checkmate detection
- Pawns moving in illegal ways
- Pieces randomly disappearing
- Slow performance after upgrade
- Ads still showing after purchase

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off stalemate
- Ability to save and load games
- Notation or move history display
- More board and piece theme options
- Tutorials or strategic tips


### Sembl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sembl/id1125056602)

Engage in a unique puzzle experience where you create designs through various artistic actions. Master over 190 levels at your own pace or test your speed in timed challenges. Enjoy minimalist graphics and serene music.

**Highlights:** Unique design puzzles, Paint, cut, punch, stencil, spin, 32 levels, Over 190 puzzles, Journey mode, Challenge mode, Minimalist graphics, Serene sound

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove all ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Premium free?

Chess Premium costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sembl free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Premium or Sembl?

Chess Premium is rated higher. Chess Premium averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while Sembl averages 4.2 from 21 ratings.

### Do Chess Premium or Sembl have ads?

Neither Chess Premium nor Sembl shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Premium or Sembl?

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, and Sembl every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess Premium was updated on October 24, 2026 and Sembl on October 20, 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.*