Comparison

Chess Deluxe vs Chess By Post

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

Head to head
About

Chess Deluxe

Enjoy a classic chess experience with a beautiful interface and adaptive AI. Play against smart opponents, challenge friends locally or online, and track your progress with detailed game history. This app offers a distraction-free environment for pure chess enjoyment across multiple devices.

Highlights
  • Smart AI opponents (Easy, Medium, Hard)
  • Local multiplayer (same device)
  • Online matches via Game Center
  • Unlimited undo/redo
  • Move history in Standard Algebraic Notation
  • Light and dark themes
  • iCloud settings sync
Features
Read full description

Experience the timeless game of chess with beautiful design and intelligent gameplay. Chess Deluxe brings the classic strategy game to life with a modern, elegant interface and responsive AI that adapts to your skill level. Whether you're learning your first moves or honing your tactics, enjoy chess exactly how you want to play it - with no ads, no distractions, just pure chess. Play Your Way: - Smart AI opponents with Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulties that provide quick, challenging gameplay - Local multiplayer for face-to-face games on the same device - Game Center integration for online matches with friends anywhere - Flexible move controls with unlimited undo/redo and move highlighting - Complete game tracking with move history in Standard Algebraic Notation Beautiful & Intuitive: - Clean, distraction-free interface designed for pure chess enjoyment - Smooth animations and satisfying piece movement - Board rotation for comfortable two-player games - Captured pieces display and game timer with customisable durations - Light and dark themes to match your preference - Crisp sounds that enhance gameplay without interruption Seamlessly Connected: - Settings sync across all your devices with iCloud - Navigate through your game history by selecting any completed move - No advertisements to interrupt your focus - Universal purchase includes iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions Chess Deluxe is crafted for chess lovers who appreciate thoughtful design and straightforward gameplay. From quick casual games to focused strategy sessions, experience chess the way it should be - simple, beautiful, and always ready when you are.

About

Chess By Post

Engage in correspondence chess with players worldwide. Challenge friends or compete in ranked matches, with automatic notifications for your turn. Improve your skills through puzzles and analysis, or enjoy local pass-and-play games.

Highlights
  • Correspondence chess with real players
  • Ranked matches with Elo rating
  • Chess puzzles for skill improvement
  • End game analysis
  • Local hand-off games
  • Computer opponent with adjustable difficulty
Features
Read full description

Play correspondence chess with real people! Challenge your friends to friendly games or play ranked matches against random opponents of similar skill levels. Play as many simultaneous games as your want! Automatic push notifications will let you know when you have moves waiting! Improve your ranking by playing ranked games against comparable opponents. Skill ranking updates using the classic Elo rating system to adjust your rank when you win or lose. A leader board view shows you how you compare to the top players. Chess By Post is perfect for players of all skill levels because your matched opponent's skill level will be adapted based on your own skill level. Create a local hand-off game and play your friend by passing the phone back and forth. Play against a computer opponent that adjusts difficulty to match your skill level. Improve your skills by playing rated chess puzzles. Features: --------- -Tracks your skill level over time -Matches you with similar skilled opponents -Practice chess puzzles to improve your game -End game analysis shows you the critical mistakes made by each player -Head to head stats -Move History Statistics - Explore the moves of every game you ever played with an interactive board explorer -Freely move pieces to plan strategies -Take notes on games to remember strategies -In-game chat message board -In-game move histories for easy review -Ratings leader board -Local hand-off games can be played offline -Play games against a computer opponent with varied skill levels -Alphanumeric grid display

Screenshots

Chess Deluxe4 screens
Chess By Post4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess By Post at 80% against Chess Deluxe's 33%. Chess By Post also leads on price (Free vs $2.99). Chess Deluxe's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On ratings volume, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Chess By Post is free to download; Chess Deluxe costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Deluxe holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 190 and 254 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Chess Deluxe's written reviews are positive against 80% of Chess By Post's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Deluxe ships an update every 2 months, Chess By Post every 5 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess Deluxe versus Chess By Post: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess DeluxeChess By Post
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (190 ratings) — better4.3 (254 ratings)
Positive reviews32.7% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings190254 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB38 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperNicholas CookeGames By Post LLC

Customer experience

Chess Deluxe

All ratings188 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive32.7%
Neutral7.3%
Negative60.0%

Chess By Post

All ratings254 ratings
Positive81.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews224 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral4.9%
Negative14.7%

User reviews

Chess Deluxe

From 190 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and clean interface
  • 👍 Nice and simple to use
  • 👍 Great Chess program
  • 👍 Fun Chess app
  • 👍 Good basic version of a chess app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Computer difficulty inconsistent
  • 🐛 Computer too easy or too hard
  • 🐛 App crashes or doesn't work
  • 🐛 Poor computer competition
  • 🐛 Game rules not implemented correctly

Chess By Post

From 254 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
  • 💡 Helpful planning mode
  • 🌐 Cross-platform compatibility
  • ⏱️ Leisurely pace of play

Room to improve

  • ⏳ Long wait times between moves
  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs
  • 🤖 Concerns about cheating/engine use
  • 🔇 Lack of notifications/push updates
  • 📊 Inaccurate/inflated ranking system

Bugs and requests

Chess Deluxe

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • Computer won't let you win
  • Computer moves king to white king
  • Game says won when losing
  • All pieces are black
  • Cannot castle king and rook
Show 23 more
  • Hard version is easy to beat
  • Movements don't feel good
  • Sound isn't good
  • Cannot play online without crashing
  • No way to start a game
  • No play button
  • Unable to use program
  • Doesn't work on iPad
  • Doesn't seem to work on IOS 9
  • Unable to go past add player name screen
  • Game ends with incorrect checkmate
  • Rook unable to move to corner piece
  • Check counted as checkmate
  • Stalemate called incorrectly
  • Computer castles illegally
  • Computer throws pieces away
  • Internet mode doesn't work
  • Cannot find users online
  • King turns into opponent's queen
  • Valid moves blocked
  • Cannot play online without redoing moves
  • Castling doesn't work
  • Cannot resign or remove game

Requested features

8 requests
  • How to record a game
  • Intermediate difficulty level
  • Option to turn off timer
  • See board labels (g column cut off)
  • Board labels visible with pieces
Show 3 more
  • Cross-platform compatibility (iPhone/Mac)
  • Sound effects for piece movements
  • Online play beyond Wi-Fi proximity

Chess By Post

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Moves not registering correctly
  • Game freezes/crashes
  • Notification issues
  • Rating/scoring problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Shorter move time limits
  • Friends/social features
  • Ability to report/block abusive players
  • Board orientation/view options
  • Customizable game settings

In-app purchases

None

Chess Deluxe

No in-app purchases

None

Chess By Post

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Deluxe free?
Chess Deluxe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess By Post free?
Chess By Post is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess Deluxe or Chess By Post?
Chess Deluxe is rated higher. Chess Deluxe averages 4.6 out of 5 from 190 ratings, while Chess By Post averages 4.3 from 254 ratings.
Do Chess Deluxe or Chess By Post have ads?
Chess By Post shows ads; Chess Deluxe does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Deluxe or Chess By Post?
Chess Deluxe ships an update every 2 months, and Chess By Post every 5 months. Most recently, Chess Deluxe was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess By Post on November 1, 2026.

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