# Chess Premium vs Chess Royale

The clearest difference is price: Chess Royale at Free against Chess Premium's $9.99. Chess Royale also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (20K vs 5.4K). Chess Premium's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Chess Royale is free to download; Chess Premium costs $9.99 up front. Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Chess Premium asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Premium holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.4K and 20K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Chess Premium's written reviews are positive against 60% of Chess Royale's.

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, Chess Royale every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Premium | Chess Royale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (5.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924/reviews)** | [4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5.4K | **20K** |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 59.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | #187 |
| Size | 39 MB | 490 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Premium

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

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Paid · Board, #137 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


### Chess Royale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250)

**Currently charting:** #187 Top Free · Strategy (US App Store)

Engage in the classic game of chess with millions worldwide. This app offers AI challenges, multiplayer matches, and extensive training tools including puzzles and post-game analysis to improve your strategic skills.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Chess puzzles, Post-game analysis, Beginner and advanced training, Multiple game modes

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Vip | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Vip | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Vip | $39.99 | per year |
| Tiny Coins Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Gems Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Reserve 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gems Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 Seamless matchmaking
- 💡 Helpful chess lessons and puzzles
- 🤩 Great for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and disruptive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Long wait times between games due to ads
- 🤖 Suspicion of playing against bots instead of real players

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect puzzle solutions being marked as wrong
- Game losses due to connection issues or app freezes
- Inconsistent trophy/ranking system
- Inability to report cheating or suspicious behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to play longer timed games
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- More advanced chess analysis and training features
- Improved matchmaking to pair players of similar skill levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Premium free?

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

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

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

Chess Premium is rated higher. Chess Premium averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.4K ratings, while Chess Royale averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.

### Do Chess Premium or Chess Royale have ads?

Chess Royale shows ads; Chess Premium does not.

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

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, and Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess Premium was updated on October 29, 2026 and Chess Royale on October 31, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Chess Premium or Chess Royale?

Chess Premium currently peaks at #40 in the App Store charts, and Chess Royale at #187. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*