# Mastersoft Chess vs Mini Chess

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mastersoft Chess at every 5 days against Mini Chess's every 3 weeks. Mastersoft Chess also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 345). Mini Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Mini Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mastersoft Chess against 4.6 for Mini Chess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 345 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Mastersoft Chess's written reviews are positive against 83% of Mini Chess's.

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, Mini Chess every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastersoft Chess | Mini Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776/reviews)** | [4.6 (345 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-quick-chess/id1048990809/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 345 |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 82.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 277 MB | 29 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [OutOfTheBit Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/286210012) |

## What reviewers say

### Mastersoft Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776)

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive app. Learn step-by-step, play against adaptive AI across 100 difficulty levels, and sharpen your skills with thousands of puzzles. Enjoy offline play and track your progress with an ELO rating.

**Highlights:** 100 difficulty levels, Interactive learning coach, Thousands of chess puzzles, Adaptive AI opponent, ELO rating tracker, Multiple game modes, Offline play

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Pro for 1 month. | $2.99 | per month |
| Buy Chess Pro. | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off. | $9.95 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great learning tool
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Helpful training mode
- 👍 Challenging at higher levels
- 👍 Customizable board and pieces

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🔍 Unclear move suggestions
- 🤖 Computer plays too strong at times

**Reported bugs**

- Pawn disappearing issue when castling
- Ratings not updating properly after games
- Crashes on certain iOS versions

**Requested features**

- More detailed explanations for suggested moves
- Option to play against other users online
- Ability to set up custom board positions
- Slower computer move speeds for beginners


### Mini Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mini-chess-quick-chess/id1048990809)

Enjoy a simplified, faster version of chess on your mobile device. Play against AI or a friend on a smaller board with fewer pieces. Ideal for beginners and quick matches.

**Highlights:** Simplified 6x6 chessboard, Fewer pieces (no knights/bishops), Play against 3 AI levels, Local multiplayer mode, Quick matches, Beginner-friendly

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced, quick gameplay
- 👍 Easy to learn and beginner-friendly
- 🎮 Addictive and fun
- 💡 Innovative simplified chess concept
- ⚙️ Multiple difficulty levels

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Check notification animation interrupts gameplay flow
- 😴 Gets repetitive and stale quickly
- 🤖 AI makes too many mistakes, even on hard mode
- 📺 Excessive and intrusive ads
- ⚖️ Unfair perpetual check mechanics

**Reported bugs**

- Checkmate declared incorrectly with viable moves available
- Queen positioned on wrong color
- AI allows illegal moves to prevent player from winning
- Stalemate not handled correctly
- Perpetual check rules unfairly favor opponent

**Requested features**

- Add Knights and Bishops to piece options
- Alternative piece combinations (2 Rooks + 2 Bishops)
- Randomized starting positions
- Landscape mode for iPad
- Random color assignment (white/black alternation)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastersoft Chess free?

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

### Is Mini Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mastersoft Chess or Mini Chess?

Mastersoft Chess is rated higher. Mastersoft Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Mini Chess averages 4.6 from 345 ratings.

### Do Mastersoft Chess or Mini Chess have ads?

Both Mastersoft Chess and Mini Chess show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mastersoft Chess or Mini Chess?

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Mini Chess every 3 weeks. Most recently, Mastersoft Chess was updated on September 24, 2026 and Mini Chess on September 18, 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.*