Comparison

Chess vs Chess without ads

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 without ads

Learn and play chess without distractions. This app offers guided lessons for beginners and advanced analysis for experts, helping you improve your game with intelligent suggestions and post-game reviews. Play offline and enjoy a seamless, ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Ad-free learning and play
  • Introductory lessons for beginners
  • Grandmaster move suggestions
  • Game analysis with good/bad moves
  • Supports USCF and FIDE rating scales
  • Strong mobile chess engine
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Beginner or advanced, become a chess master, without ever being disturbed by ads. Do you want to master the most prestigious, the classiest game ever, while having fun? It's EASY! For starters, there are no ads to distract you. There's no account to create, and you don't even need to be connected to the Internet. So, how does it work? If you are a beginner, let yourself be guided by the introductory lessons included. The lessons are SHORT and EASY. Right from the start, you begin playing by moving pieces, and you learn the rules of the game while having fun. The first 40 lessons are free. Once you know the rules, you start playing real games! The coach shows you the moves a Grandmaster would pick. Not just one move, but THE 4 BEST MOVES. Sounds too simple? But think about it... How did you learn to speak as a child? Did you take grammar and spelling lessons? Of course not. You listened to the adults talk and then you went for it! Because that's how you learn! This app allows you to do just that, AND IT WORKS! From the very first games, you start learning effortlessly. You immediately enjoy playing, and after a while you notice that the right moves come to mind naturally, as if they were obvious. Gradually, you deactivate the suggestions and play by yourself. At the end of each game, the coach shows you the good and bad moves you've made. You can better understand what happened, and you can even try out other moves to improve. If this sounds unbelievable, you should read the user reviews for our app. It has one of the highest satisfaction ratings on the App Store, in all countries. FOR BEGINNERS, THIS APP... • contains introductory chess lessons that are suitable even for children. The first 40 are free. • shows you all the possible moves of a piece when you touch it. • explains why certain moves are forbidden. • can suggest 4 to 6 excellent moves at any one time. The green button lets you show or hide these suggestions. • can tell you when you can mate your opponent, so you can look for the winning move by yourself. • can warn you when your opponent is about to play a dangerous move. • provides many trainer levels of increasing difficulty. • knows and applies perfectly all the official rules of chess. • is a very competent teacher of a very high level. • analyzes your games and shows you how to improve. FOR EXPERTS: • Both USCF and FIDE rating scales are supported. • This app has one of the strongest chess engines for mobile devices (3040 USCF Elo). • On current devices, as incredible as it sounds, it plays at the world champion level. • The chess engine displays its thinking, up to 20 moves ahead. • You can analyze a game by replaying it. The app indicates bad moves by coloring them red. The 4 best moves in each position are shown in green. • This app supports variations: you can test other moves and then return to your original game. OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: • The coach can comment on the game as you play (optional). • When the game is over, the coach can analyze it and show you how to improve. • Several beautiful visual themes are included, which you can customize. • 4 playing styles are included, from «cautious» to «suicidal», which you can combine with all available levels. • Includes an opening book of more than one million moves. • Many customization options are available (graphics, sounds, engine output…). • ...and much more... privacy policy: http://www.chesstiger.com/iphone/About_privacy_en.html terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess without ads4 screens

Verdict

The call

Chess and Chess without ads both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Chess without ads's written reviews are positive against 70% of Chess's. Chess without ads also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (12.4 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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 without ads sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.7 for Chess without ads. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39K and 38K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 91% of Chess without ads's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, Chess without ads fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 19, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Chess versus Chess without ads: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess without ads
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (39K ratings)4.7 (38K ratings)
Positive reviews70.5% of reviews90.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings39K — better38K
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVintolo LtdChristophe Théron

Customer experience

Chess

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

Chess without ads

All ratings38,324 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews485 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral2.5%
Negative7.0%

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 without ads

From 38K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent chess training tool
  • 🚀 Customizable difficulty levels
  • 💡 Helpful move suggestions
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
  • 🚀 No ads or distractions

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Limited free version with paid upgrade
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 💡 Desire for more chess variants and modes
  • 🔒 Aggressive prompts to upgrade to paid version

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 without ads

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing on the login screen
  • Incompatibility with older devices
  • Inconsistent behavior when running out of free credits

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more chess variants (3-check, king of the hill, etc.)
  • Provide more detailed game analysis and feedback
  • Improve the en passant move functionality
  • Add online/multiplayer capabilities

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
7 purchases

Chess without ads

Subscriptions3
  • PRO, 1 week$0.497 Days
  • PRO, 1 month$0.991 Month
  • PRO, 3 months$1.993 Months
One-time4
  • Learn chess$4.99
  • PRO, for life (SALE!)$9.99
  • PRO, for life (regular price)$12.99
Show 1 more
  • PRO FOR LIFE - TODAY ONLY$14.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess without ads free?
Chess without ads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess without ads?
Chess and Chess without ads are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 39K and 38K ratings respectively.
Do Chess or Chess without ads have ads?
Neither Chess nor Chess without ads shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess without ads?
Chess ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chess without ads fortnightly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 19, 2026 and Chess without ads on October 19, 2026.

Other comparisons