# HIARCS Chess vs Chess Openings Explorer Pro

The clearest difference is price: Chess Openings Explorer Pro at $3.99 against HIARCS Chess's $9.99. Chess Openings Explorer Pro also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). HIARCS Chess's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 55%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

HIARCS Chess costs $9.99 and Chess Openings Explorer Pro $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HIARCS Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 205 and 357 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of HIARCS Chess's written reviews are positive against 55% of Chess Openings Explorer Pro's.

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, Chess Openings Explorer Pro every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | HIARCS Chess | Chess Openings Explorer Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$3.99** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (205 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154/reviews)** | [4.6 (357 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-explorer-pro/id1083431778/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 205 | **357** |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 54.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 21 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157) | [Emmanuel Mathis](https://appshunter.io/developer/892041879) |

## What reviewers say

### HIARCS Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154)

This app offers a powerful chess engine for playing, analyzing, and learning chess. It provides adjustable difficulty levels and coaching features to help players of all abilities improve their game. Analyze professional games and track your progress with an Elo rating.

**Highlights:** World Championship winning chess engine, Adjustable playing strengths and styles, Advanced coaching features, Elo rating tracking, PGN database support, Large tournament book, Multiple playing modes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Strong chess engine
- 👍 Human-like play
- 🧠 Excellent coaching/analysis features
- 🔧 Customizable difficulty levels
- 💾 Saves and loads games well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Lacks advanced features (PGN import/export, database navigation)
- 🖼️ Outdated or subpar UI/UX
- 💤 Slow move animations
- 🤖 Engine strength may be overstated

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on certain iOS versions
- Discount codes not working
- Issues with hotspot mode

**Requested features**

- PGN import/export functionality
- Advanced database navigation (next/previous game)
- Endgame tablebase support
- Improved UI/UX for modern devices
- More customization options


### Chess Openings Explorer Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-explorer-pro/id1083431778)

Master chess openings with a comprehensive dictionary and analysis of over 2 million Grandmaster games. Test your knowledge with interactive quizzes and analyze positions using a powerful built-in engine.

**Highlights:** Chess opening dictionary, Grandmaster game analysis, Interactive quiz modes, Position win/loss/draw stats, Built-in chess engine, PGN export

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive database of grandmaster games (2 million+)
- 🎯 Intuitive opening explorer interface
- 📊 Clear visualization of move statistics and win rates
- 🎮 Easy access to replay master games
- 💡 Practical and pedagogical approach to learning openings

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Limited depth - only covers ~5 moves in most lines
- ❌ Lacks built-in chess engine for analysis
- 😕 Confusing user interface for beginners
- 📖 Insufficient documentation and help instructions
- 🤷 Unclear what statistics and percentages mean

**Reported bugs**

- Games fail to load with 'failed to load games' error
- Wrong position displayed when accessing games from position
- Text truncation on opening names (iPhone)
- Incompatibility with older devices (iPad 4)
- App crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Built-in chess engine for position evaluation
- Ability to play own moves and get engine feedback
- Play openings against computer opponent
- PGN import functionality
- Quiz mode by opening


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HIARCS Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Openings Explorer Pro free?

Chess Openings Explorer Pro costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HIARCS Chess or Chess Openings Explorer Pro?

HIARCS Chess is rated higher. HIARCS Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 205 ratings, while Chess Openings Explorer Pro averages 4.6 from 357 ratings.

### Do HIARCS Chess or Chess Openings Explorer Pro have ads?

Neither HIARCS Chess nor Chess Openings Explorer Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HIARCS Chess or Chess Openings Explorer Pro?

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, and Chess Openings Explorer Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, HIARCS Chess was updated on November 6, 2026 and Chess Openings Explorer Pro on November 6, 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.*