# Chess Deluxe vs Chess Jester

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Jester at 100% against Chess Deluxe's 33%. Chess Jester also leads on price (Free vs $2.99). Chess Deluxe's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Chess Jester is free to download; Chess Deluxe costs $2.99 up front. Chess Jester sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Deluxe asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Deluxe holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Deluxe has 188 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Chess Deluxe's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess Jester's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess Deluxe ships an update every 2 months, Chess Jester every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and August 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Deluxe | Chess Jester |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (188 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-deluxe/id500880061/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-jester/id6744574391/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **188** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 32.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 18 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicholas Cooke](https://appshunter.io/developer/363977390) | [Erfan Reed](https://appshunter.io/developer/1347463370) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Deluxe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-deluxe/id500880061)

**Currently charting:** #199 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Chess Jester

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-jester/id6744574391)

Engage in serious chess matches with a humorous twist. Features a witty AI commentator, multiple difficulty levels, and both local and online multiplayer options. Customize your game's appearance and share your matches.

**Highlights:** Hilarious AI commentary, Play against powerful AI, Local and online multiplayer, Game import and export (PGN/FEN), Real-time browser monitoring, External display support, Full customization options

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Online Game Play | $0.99 | one-time |
| Monitor Game on Web | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Deluxe free?

Chess Deluxe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Jester free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Deluxe or Chess Jester?

Chess Deluxe is rated higher. Chess Deluxe averages 4.6 out of 5 from 188 ratings, while Chess Jester averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Chess Deluxe or Chess Jester have ads?

Neither Chess Deluxe nor Chess Jester shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Deluxe or Chess Jester?

Chess Deluxe ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Jester every 3 months. Most recently, Chess Deluxe was updated on September 22, 2026 and Chess Jester on August 15, 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.*