Comparison

SimpleChess vs Chess Online

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SimpleChess

Engage in a straightforward and rapid chess experience. Compete globally, customize your board and pieces, and track your ELO ranking. Enhance your skills with tactical training and puzzle battles.

Highlights
  • Online multiplayer chess
  • Customizable chessboards and pieces
  • Tactical training modules
  • Puzzle battles
  • ELO ranking tracking
  • Chess960 variant
Features
Read full description

Play chess online - it's that simple! Simple, practical and fast, SimpleChess makes playing chess as easy as child's play! • It's free! • Compete against opponents from all over the world • Customize your chessboard, with 20 piece types and 40 chessboard designs • 10 different themes (5 dark, 5 light) • Choose your game rating: fast, blitz, bullet, or create the rating of your choice • Track your progress with your ELO ranking • Make progress with our tactical training modules • Challenge other players to a puzzle battle • Play Chess960, a variant of the chess game • Earn XP experience points with every game Become a member and enjoy additional features: • Analyze your games by computer • Find your friends easily • And enjoy full access to our training modules!

About

Chess Online

Engage in classic board game battles with players worldwide or practice against AI. Learn strategies, track your progress with a ranking system, and enjoy customizable themes. Perfect for beginners and experienced players alike.

Highlights
  • 1-vs-1 online matches
  • Offline AI practice
  • Chess tutor mode
  • Global and national rankings
  • Daily challenges
  • Intelligent move hints
  • 3D themes and boards
Features
Read full description

Time to protect your king! Here comes the world's #1 multiplayer online chess game! ▷HOW TO PLAY Chess is a free board game for 2 players. Playing on a square board which made of 64 smaller squares and eight squares on each side. When playing Chess, the player starts with sixteen pieces: eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, one queen and one king. The goal of the game is for each player to try and checkmate the king of the opponent. Checkmate is a threat ('check') to the opposing king. Tap, move, and drop the pieces, checkmate, YOU WIN! ▷BEST CHESS TUTOR A starter of Chess? Don’t worry, Chess Online has prepared an intelligible beginner guidance for you. The Chess Tutor mode is able to help players get familiar with basic chess rules, learn advanced chess strategy and know how to avoid failure. ▷GET HIGHER RANK The special ranking system of Chess Online includes global ranking, national ranking, and league ranking. By raising your ranking, you can see clearly how much progress you have achieved. ▷CHESS ONLINE GAME FEATURES ◆ Quick 1-vs-1 matches: match chess fans from all over the world. ◆ Challenge Online against chess master all over the world ◆ Offline practice: Play chess against AI. Perfect place for the beginners to practice. ◆ Chess tutor: basic chess rules, advanced strategy, useful tips, anything you need. ◆ Daily rapid chess challenge & daily endgame challenge: different unique modes and chess ◆ programs to develop your skills from 0 to chess master. ◆ Intelligent hints analyze every move of a game. ◆ Various 3D themes and chess board for FREE. ◆ Family friendly, kids and adults can have fun together. ◆ Design for both tablet and mobile. With a powerful chess AI engine, super chess tutor and amusing challenge mode, Chess Online can help you raise your ranking, eventually become a master of chess. Fan of strategy game and want to learn chess? This top free chess game app is perfect for you. Download NOW to enjoy your chess time!

Screenshots

SimpleChess4 screens
Chess Online4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SimpleChess at 4.0 against Chess Online's 2.8. SimpleChess also leads on review sentiment (53% vs 28%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 weeks). Chess Online's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (50 vs 8). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SimpleChess sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Chess Online asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SimpleChess holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Online has 50 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of SimpleChess's written reviews are positive against 28% of Chess Online's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimpleChess ships an update every 8 days, Chess Online every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SimpleChess versus Chess Online: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpleChessChess Online
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (8 ratings) — better2.8 (50 ratings)
Positive reviews52.7% of reviews — better27.8% of reviews
Number of ratings850 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB101 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEurope EchecsNoodle Games Limited

Customer experience

SimpleChess

All ratings8 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive52.7%
Neutral10.9%
Negative36.4%

Chess Online

All ratings50 ratings
Positive46.0%
Neutral2.0%
Negative52.0%
Written reviews36 reviews
Positive27.8%
Neutral8.3%
Negative63.9%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

SimpleChess

Subscriptions4
  • Essential Pack (Monthly plan)$2.991 Month
  • Premium Pack (Monthly plan)$3.991 Month
  • Essential Pack (Annual Plan)$24.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Premium Pack (Annual Plan)$34.991 Year
None

Chess Online

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimpleChess free?
SimpleChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Online free?
Chess Online is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SimpleChess or Chess Online?
SimpleChess is rated higher. SimpleChess averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Chess Online averages 2.8 from 50 ratings.
Do SimpleChess or Chess Online have ads?
Neither SimpleChess nor Chess Online shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SimpleChess or Chess Online?
SimpleChess ships an update every 8 days, and Chess Online every 5 weeks. Most recently, SimpleChess was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess Online on November 2, 2026.

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