# HIARCS Chess vs ChessBase Mobile Chess

The clearest difference is price: ChessBase Mobile Chess at Free against HIARCS Chess's $9.99. HIARCS Chess's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 2.9) and review sentiment (76% vs 41%). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

ChessBase Mobile Chess is free to download; HIARCS Chess costs $9.99 up front. ChessBase Mobile Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. HIARCS Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

HIARCS Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HIARCS Chess has 204 ratings behind it against 18, 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 41% of ChessBase Mobile Chess's.

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, ChessBase Mobile Chess every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HIARCS Chess | ChessBase Mobile Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (204 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154/reviews)** | [2.9 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **204** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 40.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 21 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157) | [ChessBase GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/417720797) |

## 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


### ChessBase Mobile Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093)

Access a vast chess game database, save and analyze your own games, and practice openings. This app offers advanced notation and sharing features, with a free tier and optional premium upgrades for more extensive cloud storage and search capabilities.

**Highlights:** Access 13+ million chess games, Save and sync personal game databases, Analyze games with built-in engine, Live opening book statistics, Create and practice opening repertoires, Advanced game notation and sharing, PGN file compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChessBase Premium (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HIARCS Chess free?

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

### Is ChessBase Mobile Chess free?

ChessBase Mobile Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, HIARCS Chess or ChessBase Mobile Chess?

HIARCS Chess is rated higher. HIARCS Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 204 ratings, while ChessBase Mobile Chess averages 2.9 from 18 ratings.

### Do HIARCS Chess or ChessBase Mobile Chess have ads?

Neither HIARCS Chess nor ChessBase Mobile Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HIARCS Chess or ChessBase Mobile Chess?

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, and ChessBase Mobile Chess every 6 months. Most recently, HIARCS Chess was updated on October 26, 2026 and ChessBase Mobile Chess on October 25, 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.*