Comparison

Chess HD ∙ vs Chess King

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chess HD ∙

Experience a visually stunning chess game with excellent graphics and sound effects. Play against a challenging AI or a friend, with features like configurable difficulty, score tracking, and an undo function. Enjoy a free, ad-supported chess experience.

Highlights
  • High-definition graphics and sound effects
  • 1-player vs. computer and 2-player modes
  • Configurable AI difficulty
  • Score tracking and player names
  • Undo function
  • Automatic save
Features
Read full description

Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPad? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free HD is the best looking chess game for the iPad, and best of all - it's free! Chess Free HD supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free HD offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you exit the application Chess Free HD is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising.

About

Chess King

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

Highlights
  • 100+ learning courses
  • Interactive theoretical lessons
  • High-quality, double-checked puzzles
  • Personal chess trainer
  • Computer analysis
  • Offline support
  • Chess tasks for kids
Features
Read full description

Don't just play chess. Train like a master. Chess King teaches the game the way strong players are actually built — with a rigorous, structured curriculum, not a random feed of puzzles. 147 complete courses take you from your first move to advanced play, step by step. WHY CHESS KING IS DIFFERENT Most chess apps let you play. Chess King trains you. Every course is a real lesson built on classical training methods refined over 30 years — the same approach behind CT-ART, the tactics trainer used by serious players worldwide. You don't just solve a position and move on. Chess King gives you hints when you are stuck, explains the idea behind the right move, and shows you the striking refutation of the mistakes you might make. That is how understanding is built — not memorized. WHAT YOU GET - 147 structured courses covering tactics, strategy, openings, the middlegame, and endgames, organized by level from beginner to master. - Chess King University: 7 guided learning paths and 44 courses that give you a clear, ordered route to real improvement — no guessing what to study next. - Interactive theory: read the lesson, then play the moves on the board yourself. Learning by doing, not just reading. - Thousands of carefully selected exercises with graphic hints and full explanations. - Play against the computer to put what you have trained into practice. - A progress report for every lesson, so you always see how far you have come. TRAIN ON EVERY DEVICE Your subscription, purchases, progress, and rating sync automatically across web, iPhone, iPad, and Android. Train on your phone on the commute, continue on the web at home — your progress follows you. TRY IT FREE Preview courses before you commit. When you are ready, choose a monthly or yearly plan, or buy individual courses to keep forever. Chess King — train like a master. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess King4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess HD ∙ at none against Chess King's 10. Chess HD ∙ also leads on ratings volume (8.2K vs 2.5K). Chess King's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (78% vs 54%). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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 King sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Chess HD ∙ asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess King holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8.2K and 2.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Chess HD ∙'s written reviews are positive against 78% of Chess King's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess HD ∙ ships an update every 5 months, Chess King every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Chess HD ∙ versus Chess King: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess HD ∙Chess King
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (8.2K ratings)4.8 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.4% of reviews78.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.2K — better2.5K
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB109 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOptime Software LLCChess King

Customer experience

Chess HD ∙

All ratings7,658 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews309 reviews
Positive54.4%
Neutral11.0%
Negative34.6%

Chess King

All ratings2,501 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.3%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews324 reviews
Positive78.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative16.4%

User reviews

Chess HD ∙

From 8.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast gameplay
  • 👍 Adjustable difficulty levels
  • 💡 Undo feature
  • 🎨 Nice graphics and design
  • 🧠 Helps improve chess skills

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches (illegal moves, pieces disappearing, incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection)
  • 💰 Intrusive ads
  • 🔒 No option to disable ads even after purchase
  • ⏱️ Slow computer moves on higher difficulty
  • 🔀 Inability to castle or move pieces as per rules

Chess King

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Best game in the world
  • 👍 Helpful for practice
  • 💡 Excellent tutorial and training content
  • 🎨 Well-chosen puzzles
  • 🧠 Improves pattern recognition and tactics

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive
  • 🐛 Crashes on iPhone and iPad
  • 🐛 Buggy after recent update
  • 🤔 Confusing interface and lack of instructions
  • 🤔 Difficult for beginners

Bugs and requests

Chess HD ∙

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Pieces disappearing during gameplay
  • Incorrect checkmate/stalemate detection
  • Computer making illegal moves
  • Game freezing or crashing
  • Inability to undo after checkmate/stalemate

Requested features

5 requests
  • Landscape mode support
  • Ability to track wins/losses/draws
  • More customization options (piece designs, board colors, etc.)
  • Tutorials or lessons for beginners
  • Multiplayer mode with friends

Chess King

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes on M1 Macs
  • Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
  • Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
  • Cannot restore purchases
  • Doesnot sync progress across devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve user interface and design
  • Add more opening courses
  • Provide better explanations for moves
  • Allow resetting progress
Show 2 more
  • Improve syncing across devices
  • Add online chess mode

In-app purchases

None

Chess HD ∙

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Chess King

Subscriptions6
  • CT-ART: The Best Tactics7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Chess King University7 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • Chess King Courses3 Days trial$11.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Chess King Maximum Pack1 Month trial$17.991 Month
  • Chess King Courses3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Chess King Maximum Pack1 Year trial$119.991 Year
One-time4
  • Chess: From Beginner to Club$12.99
  • Chess Tactics for Beginners$12.99
  • Chess Opening Blunders$12.99
Show 1 more
  • CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics)$17.99

Questions

Is Chess HD ∙ free?
Chess HD ∙ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess King free?
Chess King is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess HD ∙ or Chess King?
Chess King is rated higher. Chess HD ∙ averages 4.4 out of 5 from 8.2K ratings, while Chess King averages 4.8 from 2.5K ratings.
Do Chess HD ∙ or Chess King have ads?
Both Chess HD ∙ and Chess King show ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess HD ∙ or Chess King?
Chess HD ∙ ships an update every 5 months, and Chess King every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess HD ∙ was updated on November 10, 2026 and Chess King on November 6, 2026.

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