# HIARCS Chess vs Notation

The clearest difference is review sentiment: HIARCS Chess at 76% against Notation's 0%. HIARCS Chess also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (199 vs 4). Notation's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

HIARCS Chess costs $9.99 and Notation $2.99 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HIARCS Chess has 199 ratings behind it against 4, 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 Notation's.

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, Notation every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HIARCS Chess | Notation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hiarcs-chess/id327708154/reviews)** | [4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-chess-coach/id6759826744/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **199** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **75.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#84** | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 427 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Applied Computer Concepts Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/327708157) | [Darren Cox](https://appshunter.io/developer/1874926497) |

## What reviewers say

### HIARCS Chess

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

**Currently charting:** #84 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


### Notation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-chess-coach/id6759826744)

This app provides in-depth chess coaching by explaining moves and patterns using advanced AI and established coaching theories. It offers detailed game reviews, player profiling, and opponent scouting, all processed on your device for privacy.

**Highlights:** On-device AI analysis, Multiple coaching frameworks, Detailed game reviews, Player style profiling, Opponent scouting, Physical board integration, Privacy-focused design

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HIARCS Chess free?

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

### Is Notation free?

Notation costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HIARCS Chess or Notation?

HIARCS Chess is rated higher. HIARCS Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 199 ratings, while Notation averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do HIARCS Chess or Notation have ads?

Neither HIARCS Chess nor Notation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HIARCS Chess or Notation?

HIARCS Chess ships an update every 3 months, and Notation every 4 days. Most recently, HIARCS Chess was updated on September 25, 2026 and Notation on September 12, 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.*