# Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles vs 8bit Chess

The clearest difference is price: 8bit Chess at Free against Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles's $0.99. 8bit Chess also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (100% vs 68%). Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

8bit Chess is free to download; Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles costs $0.99 up front. 8bit Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles asks for nothing beyond the download.

8bit Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles's written reviews are positive against 100% of 8bit Chess's.

Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles ships an update every 7 months, 8bit Chess fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles | 8bit Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-in-3-chess-puzzles/id368404199/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-chess/id6747295431/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 68.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 15 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gano Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/333237652) | [Krishan Panduwawala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1817905218) |

## What reviewers say

### Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-in-3-chess-puzzles/id368404199)

Challenge your chess skills with over 1200 interactive puzzles designed to help you force a checkmate in three moves. This app offers a revamped engine, timing clock, customizable piece sets and color schemes, and social leaderboards. It's ideal for players looking to improve their tactical abilities.

**Highlights:** Over 1200 chess puzzles, Force checkmate in 3 moves, Revamped chess engine, Timing clock and solve times, Customizable piece sets and color schemes, Social leaderboards, Facebook integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### 8bit Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8bit-chess/id6747295431)

Master chess tactics with over 10,000 puzzles in a classic 8-bit style. Features include various puzzle types, difficulty levels, and a hint system. Play offline or against an AI.

**Highlights:** 10,000+ curated chess puzzles, 7 difficulty levels, Mate in X and themed puzzles, Endgame and Opening puzzles, Freeplay against ChessJS AI, Offline play, Hint system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 8bit Chess Puzzles Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles free?

Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 8bit Chess free?

8bit Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles or 8bit Chess?

8bit Chess is rated higher. Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while 8bit Chess averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles or 8bit Chess have ads?

8bit Chess shows ads; Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles or 8bit Chess?

Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles ships an update every 7 months, and 8bit Chess fortnightly. Most recently, Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles was updated on October 29, 2026 and 8bit Chess on October 20, 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.*