# Mastersoft Chess vs Chess960 ™

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Mastersoft Chess at 90% against Chess960 ™'s 0%. Mastersoft Chess also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 10 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Chess960 ™'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mastersoft Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chess960 ™ 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 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mastersoft Chess has 1.5K ratings behind it against 61, 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 0% of Chess960 ™'s.

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess960 ™ every 10 months. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mastersoft Chess | Chess960 ™ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mastersoft-chess/id378161776/reviews)** | [4.4 (61 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess960/id6478382405/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 61 |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 277 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [VM Mobile Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/646128457) |

## 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


### Chess960 ™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess960/id6478382405)

Experience a unique chess variant where the starting position of pieces changes with each game. Test your strategic thinking with fresh challenges and play against AI or friends. Customize your game with different themes and join a growing community.

**Highlights:** Randomized starting positions, Play against AI or friends, Progress from beginner to pro, Customizable pieces and boards, Community sharing and leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mastersoft Chess free?

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

### Is Chess960 ™ free?

Chess960 ™ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mastersoft Chess or Chess960 ™?

Mastersoft Chess is rated higher. Mastersoft Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Chess960 ™ averages 4.4 from 61 ratings.

### Do Mastersoft Chess or Chess960 ™ have ads?

Mastersoft Chess shows ads; Chess960 ™ does not.

### Which is updated more often, Mastersoft Chess or Chess960 ™?

Mastersoft Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess960 ™ every 10 months. Most recently, Mastersoft Chess was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chess960 ™ on September 25, 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.*