# Chess vs Chess Prime 3D

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess at every 5 days against Chess Prime 3D's every 3 weeks. Chess also leads on review sentiment (90% vs 81%). Chess Prime 3D's advantage is ratings volume (62K vs 1.6K) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Chess against 4.6 for Chess Prime 3D. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Prime 3D has 62K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 81% of Chess Prime 3D's.

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess Prime 3D every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess Prime 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-play-and-trainer/id378161776/reviews) | [4.6 (62K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime-3d/id990477277/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **62K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 81.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 277 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [Vinta Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/505409005) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-play-and-trainer/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 Prime 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime-3d/id990477277)

Engage in classic chess with stunning 3D graphics and versatile play modes. Challenge yourself with puzzles, play against AI or friends online, and learn with helpful move indicators. Save games, customize the board, and master openings.

**Highlights:** 3D and 2D board views, Single player and two player modes, Online multiplayer with chat, Hundreds of chess puzzles, Adjustable AI difficulty, Legal move highlighting, Board setup and save/load

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app, easy to use
- 👍 Versatile with customization options
- 🎨 Excellent 3D graphics and visuals
- 💡 Helpful for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connection issues and glitches
- ⏱️ Frustrating timer and move registration problems
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive and disruptive
- 🤖 Difficulty levels can be unbalanced and overly challenging

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces not moving as expected
- Game freezing or crashing during play
- Incorrect move registrations and stalemate issues

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer with chat functionality
- Ability to save and review game history
- Option to play background music from device
- Improved matchmaking and difficulty balancing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Prime 3D free?

Chess Prime 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Prime 3D?

Chess and Chess Prime 3D are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.6K and 62K ratings respectively.

### Do Chess or Chess Prime 3D have ads?

Both Chess and Chess Prime 3D show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Prime 3D?

Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Prime 3D every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 30, 2026 and Chess Prime 3D on September 30, 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.*