# Chess Premium vs Chess Tactics and Lessons

The clearest difference is price: Chess Tactics and Lessons at Free against Chess Premium's $9.99. Chess Tactics and Lessons also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months). Chess Premium's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and chart position (#41 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Chess Tactics and Lessons is free to download; Chess Premium costs $9.99 up front. Chess Tactics and Lessons sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Chess Premium asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess Premium against 4.8 for Chess Tactics and Lessons. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.2K and 5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Chess Premium's written reviews are positive against 85% of Chess Tactics and Lessons's.

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, Chess Tactics and Lessons every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Premium | Chess Tactics and Lessons |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924/reviews) | **[4.8 (5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-and-lessons/id531275673/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | 5K |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | **85.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#41** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 114 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Lockwood Productions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/466891332) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Premium

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

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Paid · Board, #125 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 Tactics and Lessons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-and-lessons/id531275673)

Master chess strategy and openings with this app. Practice unlimited tactics, follow detailed lessons, and save your favorite openings. Create your own content and learn from a supportive community.

**Highlights:** Unlimited tactics practice, Detailed chess lessons, Opening practice and saving, Create custom tactics and lessons, Learn from mistakes with explanations, Community comments and discussion, Customizable board design

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly PRO Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Marble Chess Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Orange Chess Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Green Chess Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enable Saved Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😃 Great for learning tactics
- 👍 Enjoyable and addictive
- 🚀 Excellent training tool
- 🤗 Helpful for improving chess skills
- 💯 Best tactics app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 💰 Subscription model too expensive
- 🤔 Some tactics are questionable
- 🙄 Too many queen sacrifices
- 😣 Difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Server connection issues
- White screen after updates
- Inability to delete account
- Incorrect move explanations

**Requested features**

- Ability to save tactics
- Offline mode
- Difficulty filtering
- Improved user interface
- More comprehensive lessons


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Premium free?

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

### Is Chess Tactics and Lessons free?

Chess Tactics and Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Premium or Chess Tactics and Lessons?

Chess Tactics and Lessons is rated higher. Chess Premium averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Chess Tactics and Lessons averages 4.8 from 5K ratings.

### Do Chess Premium or Chess Tactics and Lessons have ads?

Neither Chess Premium nor Chess Tactics and Lessons shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Premium or Chess Tactics and Lessons?

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, and Chess Tactics and Lessons every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess Premium was updated on October 18, 2026 and Chess Tactics and Lessons on October 19, 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.*