# Mastersoft Chess vs Chess Score Pad

The clearest difference is price: Mastersoft Chess at Free against Chess Score Pad's $9.99. Mastersoft Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 5 months) and review sentiment (90% vs 64%). Chess Score Pad's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On rating there is nothing between them.

Mastersoft Chess is free to download; Chess Score Pad costs $9.99 up front. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chess Score Pad asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Mastersoft Chess against 4.6 for Chess Score Pad. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastersoft Chess has 1.5K ratings behind it against 177, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Mastersoft Chess's written reviews are positive against 64% of Chess Score Pad's.

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess Score Pad every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastersoft Chess | Chess Score Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776/reviews)** | [4.6 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-score-pad/id518018730/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 177 |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 63.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#194** |
| Size | 277 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [CalcFxC, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/395979596) |

## 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


### Chess Score Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-score-pad/id518018730)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

This app provides a modern, distraction-free electronic scoresheet for over-the-board chess tournament play. Record moves effortlessly, review positions, and export games in PGN or PDF formats for post-game analysis. Designed by a tournament player, it streamlines the scoring process so you can focus on the game.

**Highlights:** Effortless move recording (tap or drag), Automatic game saving, Easy move correction, Step-through and slider game review, PGN export for analysis, PDF scoresheet export with diagram, Optional legal-move and time tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastersoft Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Score Pad free?

Chess Score Pad costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mastersoft Chess or Chess Score Pad?

Mastersoft Chess is rated higher. Mastersoft Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Chess Score Pad averages 4.6 from 177 ratings.

### Do Mastersoft Chess or Chess Score Pad have ads?

Mastersoft Chess shows ads; Chess Score Pad does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mastersoft Chess or Chess Score Pad?

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Score Pad every 5 months. Most recently, Mastersoft Chess was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chess Score Pad on September 14, 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.*