# Mastersoft Chess vs Simple chess board

The clearest difference is update cadence: Mastersoft Chess at every 5 days against Simple chess board's every 10 months. Mastersoft Chess also leads on ratings volume (1.5K vs 67) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Simple chess board's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Mastersoft Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastersoft Chess has 1.5K ratings behind it against 67, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Mastersoft Chess's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple chess board's.

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, Simple chess board every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastersoft Chess | Simple chess board |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776/reviews)** | [4.5 (67 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 67 |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 88.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 277 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [Luis Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/453216096) |

## 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


### Simple chess board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560)

This app provides a digital chessboard with unrestricted piece movement and a configurable chess clock. Save and load board positions, undo/redo moves, and even use checker pieces. It's ideal for analyzing games or setting up custom scenarios.

**Highlights:** Free piece movement, Undo/Redo functionality, Board rotation, Checker piece option, Save/load positions, Configurable chess clock, Tweet current position

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastersoft Chess free?

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

### Is Simple chess board free?

Simple chess board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mastersoft Chess or Simple chess board?

Mastersoft Chess is rated higher. Mastersoft Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Simple chess board averages 4.5 from 67 ratings.

### Do Mastersoft Chess or Simple chess board have ads?

Both Mastersoft Chess and Simple chess board show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mastersoft Chess or Simple chess board?

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Simple chess board every 10 months. Most recently, Mastersoft Chess was updated on September 25, 2026 and Simple chess board on September 19, 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.*