Comparison

Chess vs Chess Move

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

Chess Move

This app helps chess players find the best moves using a powerful cloud-based engine. It allows users to set up board positions manually or via camera scan, and customize analysis depth and engine settings for in-depth game review.

Highlights
  • Best move calculation
  • Cloud-based Stockfish engine
  • Board setup via drag-and-drop
  • Camera position scanning
  • Customizable engine presets
  • Multiple analysis lines
Features
Read full description

Introducing ChessMovePro, the all-new powerful move calculator that lets users find the best move in seconds! The app calculates the best lines using powerful dedicated servers running Stockfish 16 in the cloud. ChessMovePro offers a wide variety of customizations that allow users to find the best move quickly. Users can set up their board by dragging and dropping pieces onto the setup board to match the app to their current board position. Next head over to the analysis screen where you can see the best moves and lines at a glance. Customize the engine preset in order to increase depth, get more lines, change the elo target or increase think time. ChessMovePro allows users to use their camera to scan chess positions and find the best moves to play within seconds. The dedicated Stockfish servers ensure only the best moves are shown and that users can analzye games at the highest level. In the settings, users can customize the look of their app with various boards and app colors. Upgrade to ChessMovePro in order to unlock the full suite of customizations for the app and take your experience to the next level! How do I use Chess Move Pro? After opening the app users first have to setup their chess board. Take advantage of the apps scanning feature and pull out your camera to caputre the position or place the chess pieces in the correct squares. Next hit the analyze button and Chess Move Pro will analyze your current chess position using cloud Stockfish 15.1 servers that will find the best next chess move for you to play. If you don't like the next chess move that the app suggests hit the re-calculate button in order to calculate a new best move for the current position. Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess4 screens
Chess Move4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 90% against Chess Move's 27%. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). Chess Move's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 2 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Move sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 1.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 27% of Chess Move's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess Move every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess versus Chess Move: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessChess Move
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.6K ratings) — better4.3 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews90.5% of reviews — better26.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1.6K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size276 MB37 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperMastersoftSetse LLC

Customer experience

Chess

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

Chess Move

All ratings1,133 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews184 reviews
Positive26.6%
Neutral10.9%
Negative62.5%

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

Chess Move

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Great app
  • 🚀 Works well
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🧠 Helpful for improving chess skills
  • 🏆 Allows beating difficult opponents

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription
  • 🔒 Locked behind paywall
  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🔄 Inconsistent performance after updates
  • 🤯 Confusing or misleading about free trial

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

Chess Move

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces not detected correctly
  • Moves suggested in wrong direction
  • App crashes on launch or during use

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to save board positions
  • Improve piece detection and move suggestions
  • Provide more free analysis options

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Chess

One-time2
  • Buy Chess Pro.$2.99
  • Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off.$9.95
10 purchases

Chess Move

Subscriptions10
  • ChessMovePro - Monthly$3.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$4.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Hidden Discount$9.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • ChessMovePro (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Premium3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Quarterly)$19.993 Months
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess free?
Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Move free?
Chess Move is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Move?
Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chess Move averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Chess or Chess Move have ads?
Chess shows ads; Chess Move does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Move?
Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Move every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on November 6, 2026 and Chess Move on November 3, 2026.

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