# Mastersoft Chess vs SocialChess

The clearest difference is ads: SocialChess at none against Mastersoft Chess's shown. SocialChess also leads on ratings volume (7.2K vs 1.5K). Mastersoft Chess's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 71%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and SocialChess sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. 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 4.7 for SocialChess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.5K and 7.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Mastersoft Chess's written reviews are positive against 71% of SocialChess's.

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, SocialChess every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastersoft Chess | SocialChess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776/reviews) | [4.7 (7.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socialchess-online-chess/id442239737/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | **7.2K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 70.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 277 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | +12 |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [Woodchop Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/442239740) |

## 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


### SocialChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socialchess-online-chess/id442239737)

Engage in online chess matches with friends or strangers, featuring both timed and correspondence game modes. Enjoy a clean interface with no ads, advanced features, and detailed game statistics. Play offline and sync later, with options to expand game limits via in-app purchase.

**Highlights:** Online chess matches, Timed and correspondence games, No advertisements, Detailed statistics (ELO, wins, losses), Conditional moves and premoves, Offline play with later sync, User profiles and chat

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Membership | $14.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Membership | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1 Year Gift Membership | $14.99 | one-time |
| DecodeChess 1 Year | $41.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app for playing chess
- 👍 Clean, user-friendly interface
- 👍 Large player base and easy to find opponents
- 👍 Ability to play slow or fast games
- 👍 No ads or distractions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔋 Potential battery drain issues
- 💰 Subscription fees for some features
- 🤖 Concerns about cheating and bots
- 🤬 Issues with toxic/abusive players

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing during gameplay
- Inaccurate game statistics and ratings
- Delayed or unresponsive move registrations
- Inability to cancel or delete games

**Requested features**

- Add chess analysis and training tools
- Implement anti-cheat measures
- Improve game history and statistics tracking
- Allow customization of board and piece designs
- Add tournament and team play modes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastersoft Chess free?

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

### Is SocialChess free?

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

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

Mastersoft Chess and SocialChess are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.5K and 7.2K ratings respectively.

### Do Mastersoft Chess or SocialChess have ads?

Mastersoft Chess shows ads; SocialChess does not.

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

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, and SocialChess every 10 days. Most recently, Mastersoft Chess was updated on September 24, 2026 and SocialChess on September 24, 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.*