# Chess HD  ∙ vs Chess King

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess HD  ∙ | Chess King |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (8.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-hd/id367637700/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **8.2K** | 2.5K |
| Positive reviews | 54.4% of reviews | **78.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 88 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess HD  ∙

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-hd/id367637700)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT-ART: The Best Tactics | $5.99 | per month |
| Chess King University | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $17.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $89.99 | per year |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $119.99 | per year |
| Chess: From Beginner to Club | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Tactics for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Blunders | $12.99 | one-time |
| CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics) | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve user interface and design
- Add more opening courses
- Provide better explanations for moves
- Allow resetting progress


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*