Comparison

Chess vs Chess Royale

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chess

Engage in the classic game of chess with customizable graphics and multiple difficulty levels. Play against AI or a friend, with features like move undo, hints, and time controls. Enjoy a rich chess experience with detailed game history and board customization.

Highlights
  • HD graphics
  • 5 difficulty levels
  • Hint option
  • Play against computer or friend
  • 2D and 3D themes
  • Unlimited undo moves
  • Time control options
Features
Read full description

Chess is #1 popular game in the world. According to FIDE, about 600 million people play chess and it is the most widespread game on the planet. "The Game of Chess is not merely an idle amusement; several very valuable qualities of the mind, useful in the course of human life, are to be acquired and strengthened by it, so as to become habits ready on all occasions..." (Benjamin Franklin, scientist) Game features: - HD graphics for iPhone 5 and the new iPad retina display - 5 levels of difficulty - hint option to find out the best next move - play either white or black - play against the computer or a friend - 2D and 3D themes for chess pieces - unlimited ability to undo moves - AI quick response time - time control (5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes) - animated moves - highlight legal moves - easy to use interface design - ability to go back to any previous position in the game - auto-save when exit or phone ring - view captured pieces - full game history with chess notation - change the appearance of the board - ability to listen music in background Play one of the oldest and most enjoyable games in the world!

About

Chess Royale

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
Currently charting
Read full description

► THE ONLY CHESS APP YOU NEED Whether you’re a complete beginner or a highly experienced player, Chess Royale has everything you could need to enjoy one of the world’s greatest board games on your mobile device. Play with the AI, with friends, or with millions of strangers all over the world, then train your chess skills with tutorials, puzzles, and post-game analysis. One of the greatest things about chess is that there’s always something new to learn, and this beautifully designed app will allow you to keep on discovering the magic of chess and enhancing your love of the game day after day. ► WHY CHESS? ◾ With a history that stretches back over millennia, chess is both a vital cultural artefact and a beloved pastime that brings together millions of players all over the world. ◾ Renowned as a fierce test of the intellect, chess provides incredible training for your brain. Regularly playing chess and solving puzzles can train your strategic skills, develop logical and lateral thinking, help with learning and understanding psychology, improve your analysis and enhance your memory. ◾ It’s fun! Chess may be intimidating for beginners, but the more you learn and the better you understand the game, the more entertaining and rewarding it becomes. There’s some reason why it has remained among the most popular board games in the world for centuries, after all. ► WHY CHESS ROYALE? ◾ It pays to be popular: With over 50 000 000 players across all popular platforms, Chess Royale ensures there’s always a real opponent of similar skill online and ready to play in a variety of multiplayer formats. ◾ Endless variations: Not only can you challenge real players of different skill levels, you can also play in eight different modes. Play blitzes with varying time limitations, use the notifications system to play with friends when they’re online, test yourself in private against the game’s AI, and enter and arrange tournaments of various formats for more multiplayer fun. ◾ More than just a game: Chess Royale boasts more than 5000 chess puzzles to help you train specific aspects of your game. The app also features analysis tools that you can use post-match to help with your learning and development. And there is a trainer for beginners and more advanced players to get a better grasp of this intensely rich and complex game. Despite the wonders of modern technology, you’ll be hard pressed to find a mobile game that’s as challenging, enjoyable, and intellectually satisfying as chess. Whether you’re looking for just a new game to play online or a trainer to help you take the very first steps in exploring the magic of chess, Chess Royale offers something extra. Download the app now to discover the ultimate mobile chess environment. ►Vip Subscription: - You can subscribe to Vip membership to play without any ads, unlock all purchasable deck packs and play infinite puzzles every day. Also you can use infinite hints while solving chess puzzles - You are able to choose from three subscription options: a weekly subscription (free for the first 3 days) for $4.99 USD, a monthly subscription for $14.99 USD, an annual subscription for $79.99 USD - Subscription payments will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of your purchase and upon commencement of each renewal term. Subscription with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. You can cancel your subscription or free trial in the iTunes settings at least 24-hours before the end of the free trial period. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period and you will be downgraded to the free service. - Please note that any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase Privacy Policy: https://say.games/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://say.games/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess Royale4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Chess at none against Chess Royale's shown. Chess also leads on review sentiment (70% vs 60%) and iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.0). Chess Royale's advantage is chart position (#179 vs unranked). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39K and 20K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 60% of Chess Royale's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Chess versus Chess Royale: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess Royale
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (39K ratings) — better4.5 (20K ratings)
Positive reviews70.5% of reviews — better59.6% of reviews
Number of ratings39K — better20K
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#179 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB490 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVintolo LtdSayGames LTD

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings38,795 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral3.8%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews572 reviews
Positive70.5%
Neutral11.2%
Negative18.4%

Chess Royale

All ratings20,246 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.4%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews787 reviews
Positive59.6%
Neutral11.2%
Negative29.2%

User reviews

Chess

From 39K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for beginners
  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 💡 Helpful puzzles and hints
  • 🎨 Customizable chess sets
  • 🎮 Fun and challenging

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy pawn movement
  • 🤖 AI too easy even on hard mode
  • ⏱️ Stalemate issues
  • 💰 Paid hints for puzzles
  • 🔁 Repetitive AI moves

Chess Royale

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🤬 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

Bugs and requests

Chess

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incorrect stalemate detection
  • Pieces disappearing or moving incorrectly
  • Compatibility issues on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to replay puzzles
  • Undo/redo move functionality
  • Online/multiplayer mode
  • More advanced AI difficulty
  • Improved stalemate detection

Chess Royale

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

4 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Chess

One-time4
  • 10 hints$4.99
  • 45 hints$19.99
  • 125 hints$49.99
Show 1 more
  • 200 hints$69.99
10 purchases

Chess Royale

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Vip3 Days trial2 variants$7.997 Days
  • Monthly Vip$19.991 Month
  • Annual Vip$39.991 Year
One-time7
  • Tiny Coins Pack$0.99
  • Tiny Gems Pack$1.99
  • Gold Reserve 2$2.99
Show 4 more
  • Coins Pack Offer$3.99
  • Disable Ads Forever$4.99
  • Medium Gems Pack$6.99
  • Large Gems Pack$19.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Royale free?
Chess Royale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Royale?
Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Chess Royale averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.
Do Chess or Chess Royale have ads?
Chess Royale shows ads; Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Royale?
Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 23, 2026 and Chess Royale on October 23, 2026.

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