# HIARCS Chess vs ChessLink App

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HIARCS Chess at 76% against ChessLink App's 0%. HIARCS Chess also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (199 vs 8). ChessLink App's advantage is price (Free vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

ChessLink App is free to download; HIARCS Chess costs $9.99 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HIARCS Chess has 199 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of HIARCS Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of ChessLink App's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HIARCS Chess | ChessLink App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154/reviews)** | [4.4 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesslink-app/id1547075731/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **199** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#107** | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157) | [Juergen Precour](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547075733) |

## What reviewers say

### HIARCS Chess

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

**Currently charting:** #107 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

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


### ChessLink App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesslink-app/id1547075731)

Connect your electronic chessboard to play chess games on Lichess or against a local partner or engine. LEDs on the board display opponent moves, providing an authentic over-the-board experience. Setup is quick and easy.

**Highlights:** Play on your physical chessboard, Connects to electronic boards, LEDs indicate opponent moves, Play on Lichess, Local playing partner option, Chess engine integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HIARCS Chess free?

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

### Is ChessLink App free?

ChessLink App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HIARCS Chess or ChessLink App?

HIARCS Chess is rated higher. HIARCS Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 199 ratings, while ChessLink App averages 4.4 from 8 ratings.

### Do HIARCS Chess or ChessLink App have ads?

Neither HIARCS Chess nor ChessLink App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HIARCS Chess or ChessLink App?

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, and ChessLink App every 3 months. Most recently, HIARCS Chess was updated on October 20, 2026 and ChessLink App on October 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.*