# Esfera Chess vs Thrive Board Game

The clearest difference is price: Esfera Chess at Free against Thrive Board Game's $1.99. Esfera Chess also leads on ratings volume (11 vs 1). Thrive Board Game's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 42 months vs every 92 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Esfera Chess is free to download; Thrive Board Game costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Thrive Board Game holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Esfera Chess has 11 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, Thrive Board Game every 42 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Esfera Chess | Thrive Board Game |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esfera-chess/id411270782/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thrive-board-game/id1528236222/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 84.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 92 months | **Every 42 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 7 MB | 141 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Squz](https://appshunter.io/developer/355300334) | [Martin Grider](https://appshunter.io/developer/309543466) |

## What reviewers say

### Esfera Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esfera-chess/id411270782)

Experience chess on a unique 3D spherical board with 132 hexagonal and pentagonal cells. Enjoy familiar pieces with entirely new strategic possibilities due to the curved surface. Play against AI, a friend locally, or learn with an interactive tutorial.

**Highlights:** 132-cell geodesic sphere board, Familiar chess pieces, new strategy, Local AI and pass-and-play modes, Interactive 10-step tutorial, Animated piece movements, Full iPad support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Thrive Board Game

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thrive-board-game/id1528236222)

A two-player abstract strategy board game that reinvents classic gameplay with unique piece building and over 100 variable setups. Experience strategic depth with AI opponents, pass-and-play, and an innovative augmented reality mode.

**Highlights:** Abstract strategy gameplay, Play vs AI, Pass and Play mode, Over 100 variable setups, Augmented Reality Mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Esfera Chess free?

Esfera Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Thrive Board Game free?

Thrive Board Game costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Esfera Chess or Thrive Board Game?

Thrive Board Game is rated higher. Esfera Chess averages 4.4 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Thrive Board Game averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Esfera Chess or Thrive Board Game have ads?

Neither Esfera Chess nor Thrive Board Game shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Esfera Chess or Thrive Board Game?

Esfera Chess ships an update every 92 months, and Thrive Board Game every 42 months. Most recently, Esfera Chess was updated on October 24, 2026 and Thrive Board Game on October 19, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*