Comparison

Chess vs Chessify

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

Head to head
About

Chess

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
Read full description

Play Chess – Learn, Train & Challenge with the Ultimate Chess App Take your chess to the next level with the ultimate chess app for iPhone and iPad. Whether you’re a beginner learning chess, an intermediate player looking to improve, or an advanced competitor training like a grandmaster, our app has everything you need. Powered by an award-winning chess engine, it feels like you’re playing against a real opponent – not just a computer. With 100 skill levels, automatic ELO rating tracking, and personalized difficulty that adapts to your style, you’ll always find the perfect challenge. No accounts. No fuss. Just download and start playing chess instantly. Key Features World Chess Champion Software 2026 Award Winner using Ginkgo 150 difficulty levels – from beginner to grandmaster strength Adaptive chess engine – plays like a human and adjusts to your skill ELO rating calculator – track your progress and growth Powerful AI – ranked 4th in the World Microcomputer Chess Championship Learn chess with a built-in coach – highlights best moves and alternatives Solve 1000s of chess puzzles – improve tactics, strategy, and endgame skills Huge book of chess openings Database of famous chess games – study, replay, and analyze the masters Multiple modes – Classic, Blitz, Training, Two-Player, and Analysis Mode Custom boards and sets – from traditional chess book style to modern themes Full chess rules supported – castling, en passant, pawn promotion, and more Minimal ads, no login required – play chess instantly without interruptions Whether you enjoy casual games, serious training, or fast-paced blitz chess, this app has you covered. Always challenging, sometimes aggressive, and never boring – just like real chess should be. Perfect for: Beginners who want to learn chess step by step Casual players who enjoy fun, relaxing games Competitive players who want to train like a grandmaster Puzzle lovers who want to sharpen their tactics End User License Agreement ("Agreement") (EULA) https://www.mastersoft.biz/eula.htm Privacy policy https://www.mastersoft.biz/privacy.htm

About

Chessify

This app offers advanced chess analysis tools, including a real-time chessboard scanner, powerful cloud-based engines, and a unique video finder. Analyze games, puzzles, and learn chess theory with comprehensive features for players of all levels.

Highlights
  • Real chessboard scanner
  • Superfast cloud chess engine analysis
  • Video finder for chess positions
  • Offline play against Stockfish
  • Opening Explorer with Lichess database
  • Import/export FEN/PGN
  • Online real-time Blitz
Features
Read full description

Chessify is an all-in-one chess platform built for players who want to improve with professional-level chess tools. Analyze with powerful cloud engines running on servers up to 1024 threads and 1 Billion NPS speed, explore databases of 12 million+ professional games, scan real chessboards and books, prepare openings, and review games from anywhere. Features that once required heavy desktop software are now available in a single mobile app designed for players of all levels. Whether you’re solving puzzles, training openings, or analyzing tournament games, Chessify combines advanced chess tools into one fast and easy-to-use experience. Features: ZIUK — YOUR AI CHESS ASSISTANT Ziuk is your AI chess assistant that helps you analyze games, understand positions, learn from mistakes, and explore openings. Unlike traditional chess engines that show you the best moves and evaluations, Ziuk explains the ideas behind them. Ask questions in your own language and get explanations that help you understand the game. Ziuk combines artificial intelligence, powerful chess engines, and Chessify’s analysis tools in one conversation. Connect your Chess.com or Lichess account to import your games and analyze them with Ziuk. - Powerful Cloud Engine Analysis Analyze with Stockfish 18, Lc0, Berserk, Caissa, Crystal, Patricia, Viridithas, AsmFish, ShashChess, Koivisto, RubiChess, and Sugar AI chess engines on cloud servers with up to 1024 threads, reaching up to 1BN/s speed. - Mega Database Search through 10 million+ professional FIDE-rated games with move statistics, player ratings, and opening trends. - Correspondence Chess Database Study the 2 Million+ official ICCF database games played with deep engine-assisted preparation. - Scan 2D & 3D Chessboards Scan real boards and diagrams from books or screens with high accuracy and instantly analyze the position with Stockfish 18. - Chess PDF Scanner Import chess PDF books and scan positions directly from pages for quick analysis and study. - Play Against Stockfish Challenge one of the world’s strongest chess engines with adjustable strength settings. Play from initial or any given position. - PGN & Move Notation Create analysis files with multiple variations and comments or import your existing files and review them with your phone at any time. - Save Games & Analysis Store your games, analysis, and studies locally or in the cloud and access them anytime. - Import, Export, and Share PGN/FEN Easily import your games or export positions and analysis to share with chess friends or students. Whether you’re a beginner, club player, coach, or grandmaster, Chessify provides powerful analysis and training tools for every stage of your chess journey. Privacy Policy: https://chessify.me/privacy-policy Terms of Use / End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chessify4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 90% against Chessify's 46%. Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Chessify's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chessify sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 398 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 46% of Chessify's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chessify monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess versus Chessify: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChessify
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6K ratings) — better4.4 (398 ratings)
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better46.2% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better398
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterMonthly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size276 MB140 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMastersoftChessify Inc.

Customer experience

Chess

All ratings1,556 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews2,036 reviews
Positive90.5%
Neutral4.1%
Negative5.5%

Chessify

All ratings398 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral2.8%
Negative11.8%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral10.3%
Negative43.6%

User reviews

Chess

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Chessify

From 398 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📸 Accurate chess board scanning from photos
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient position analysis
  • ☁️ Cloud-based powerful chess engine (Stockfish)
  • 💾 Easy PGN export and saving functionality
  • 📚 Perfect for studying chess books

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
  • 📸 Inconsistent scanning accuracy
  • ❌ App doesn't work on iOS 18 and older versions
  • 💰 Expensive paywall with limited free features
  • 🔥 Device overheating issues reported

Bugs and requests

Chess

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

Chessify

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Black screen in camera view during scanning
  • Scanning omits first or last rank of board
  • App crashes when loading images
  • Buttons not clickable on certain iOS versions
  • Position not recognized from screenshots
Show 7 more
  • App closes immediately after opening
  • Board rotation lock resets to landscape
  • Analysis not visible unless switching apps
  • Scanning fails 3 out of 5 times
  • Subscription billing issues (wrong tier shown)
  • App doesn't load past starting screen
  • Photo library order reversed for board photos

Requested features

12 requests
  • Add move comments and annotations capability
  • Board flip option during gameplay
  • Auto-save functionality to prevent position loss
  • Ability to edit and extend saved games
  • Tactics puzzle mode with move verification
Show 7 more
  • Automatic analysis on position scan
  • Lc0 engine option
  • iPad version support
  • Lichess app integration
  • Move sound toggle persistence
  • Better indication of which side has advantage
  • Depth control for analysis (stop at specific depth)

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Chess

Subscriptions1
  • Chess Pro for 1 month.$2.991 Month
One-time2
  • Buy Chess Pro.$2.99
  • Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off.$9.95
19 purchases

Chessify

Subscriptions10
  • Bronze 1 Month$0.991 Month
  • Silver 1 month$2.491 Month
  • Gold 1 Month$7.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Bronze 12 months$7.991 Year
  • Amateur$12.991 Month
  • Silver 12 months$14.991 Year
  • Gold 12 months$49.991 Year
  • Master$59.991 Month
  • Amateur Yearly$129.991 Year
  • Master$559.991 Year
One-time9
  • SuperFast analysis - 1000 sec.$0.99
  • SuperFast analysis - 10000sec.$3.99
  • SuperFast analysis - 30000sec.$5.99
Show 6 more
  • Starter Pack$5.99
  • Standard Pack$11.49
  • SuperFast analysis - 100000sec$13.99
  • Popular Pack$29.49
  • SuperFast analysis - unlimited$34.99
  • Ultimate Pack$117.99

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessify free?
Chessify is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chessify?
Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chessify averages 4.4 from 398 ratings.
Do Chess or Chessify have ads?
Chess shows ads; Chessify does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chessify?
Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chessify monthly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 20, 2026 and Chessify on October 15, 2026.

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