Comparison

SimpleChess vs Chess Universe

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 Universe

Embark on a chess adventure with unique island challenges and rewards. Learn from over 1,000 lessons, play against friends or players worldwide, and master strategies with helpful tools. Unlock new content and customize your experience.

Highlights
  • Play online chess games
  • Multiple game modes (Blitz, Bullet, Rapid)
  • Play vs Computer Islands with daily challenges
  • Over 1,000 chess lessons
  • Play chess with friends
  • Custom game creation
  • Hints, Undo, Game Review, Analysis tools
Features
Read full description

NEW MAJOR UPDATE – ISLAND ADVENTURES IN PLAY VS COMPUTER! Your chess adventure just got a massive upgrade! Play vs Computer now takes you beyond standard matches into a world of exploration and rewards. Travel across mysterious islands, face unique Computer challenges, and claim treasure as you master each level. The journey begins on the Starting Positions island: You start every match with the classic chess setup and your full set of 16 pieces. - Defeat opponents to choose rewards from a fresh prize list. - New challengers appear every 24 hours, each bringing new rewards. - Beat all 3 opponents in a cycle for bonus treasure. - Computer difficulty adapts after each respawn to match your skill. From here, more islands await — each with its own twist, challenges, and rewards. Will you unlock them all? MAIN FEATURES PLAY UNLIMITED ONLINE CHESS GAMES Battle players from around the world and climb your country’s leaderboard. MULTIPLE GAME MODES Choose Blitz, Bullet, Rapid, Easy Mode, or explore Play vs Computer Islands at your own pace. PLAY VS COMPUTER ISLANDS – DAILY CHALLENGES Explore themed islands with unique chess challenges. CHESS LESSONS FOR ALL LEVELS From basics to master-level strategies — over 1,000 lessons by top coaches. PLAY CHESS WITH FRIENDS Invite friends and enjoy fun, competitive matches online. CREATE YOUR GAME Use the Create Your Game mode in Play vs Computer to set up custom matches and practice your favorite positions in 9 different difficulty levels. Chess transcends languages — xadrez, ajedrez, satranç, schach, şahmat — but it’s always the ultimate game of strategy. Chess Universe combines beautiful design, fun progression, and powerful learning tools: Hints, Undo, Game Review, Replay, and Analysis. Earn rewards, unlock boards, and level up your style while mastering your skills. It’s your move. Download Chess Universe now and begin your island adventure. VIP Membership Subscription: - Unlock all islands in Play vs Computer Islands, exclusive boards and sets, special effects, VIP avatars and pets, unlimited hints, ad-free play, and 40 gems weekly. - Terms of Use: (standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA)): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ABOUT CHESS UNIVERSE: Created by chess Grandmasters and gaming experts to blend world-class chess with game-like adventure. Rated IGRS 13+ under Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS) for content suitability in Indonesia. Stay updated: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChessUniverseApp X: https://x.com/chess_universe

Screenshots

SimpleChess4 screens
Chess Universe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Universe at 4.7 against SimpleChess's 4.0. Chess Universe also leads on ratings volume (6K vs 8) and review sentiment (64% vs 53%). SimpleChess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chess Universe sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Universe holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Universe has 6K 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 64% of Chess Universe's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SimpleChess versus Chess Universe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpleChessChess Universe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (8 ratings)4.7 (6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews52.7% of reviews64.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings86K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 8 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB292 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperEurope EchecsKings of Games, d.o.o.

Customer experience

SimpleChess

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

Chess Universe

All ratings5,989 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.5%
Written reviews750 reviews
Positive64.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative29.7%

Bugs and requests

SimpleChess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Chess Universe

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Incorrect move recognition in some puzzles
  • Rating system not accurately reflecting player skill
  • Account recovery and password reset issues
  • Unexpected app crashes and freezes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more time control options (e.g., 30/60 minutes)
  • Implement a report system for suspected cheaters
  • Improve the chess academy and puzzle design
  • Allow players to save and share game histories

In-app purchases

8 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
One-time4
  • 1 month extend$0.99
  • 3 months extend$1.99
  • 6 month extend$3.99
Show 1 more
  • 1 year extend$5.99
20 purchases

Chess Universe

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly VIP Membership$5.997 Days
  • Monthly VIP Membership$11.991 Month
  • Yearly VIP Membership$59.991 Year
One-time17
  • Change Nickname$0.99
  • 10 gems$1.49
  • Starter Pack$2.99
Show 14 more
  • All Emoji + Ammo$3.99
  • Free hints for 20 days$3.99
  • Chess Kit 2020$3.99
  • Chess Kit 2022$3.99
  • 40 gems$3.99
  • Remove Ads$4.99
  • Unlimited Hints for 20 days$4.99
  • Starter Pack$4.99
  • Value Pack$5.99
  • Chess Kit 2021$5.99
  • Survival Kit$6.99
  • Remove Ads Forever$8.99
  • 135 gems$9.99
  • Champion Pack$11.99

Questions

Is SimpleChess free?
SimpleChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Universe free?
Chess Universe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SimpleChess or Chess Universe?
Chess Universe is rated higher. SimpleChess averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Chess Universe averages 4.7 from 6K ratings.
Do SimpleChess or Chess Universe have ads?
Chess Universe shows ads; SimpleChess does not.
Which is updated more often, SimpleChess or Chess Universe?
SimpleChess ships an update every 8 days, and Chess Universe every 8 days. Most recently, SimpleChess was updated on September 20, 2026 and Chess Universe on September 23, 2026.

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