# Chess & Variants vs Hexagonal Chess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hexagonal Chess at none against Chess & Variants's 1. Hexagonal Chess also leads on update cadence (every 6 months vs every 17 months) and review sentiment (67% vs 56%). Chess & Variants's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (14 vs 3). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess & Variants sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hexagonal Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess & Variants holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 3 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Chess & Variants's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hexagonal Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess & Variants ships an update every 17 months, Hexagonal Chess every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess & Variants | Hexagonal Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-and-variants/id522062562/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexagonal-chess/id6479699878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 52 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ACLAP](https://appshunter.io/developer/512525676) | [Konrad Leszczyski](https://appshunter.io/developer/1736949824) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess & Variants

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-and-variants/id522062562)

Explore a vast collection of chess variations beyond the classic game. Play against AI offline or challenge real players online with features like saved games and leaderboards.

**Highlights:** 45 chess variations, Play against AI offline, Online multiplayer, Create/join tables, Invite friends, Full rules description, Replay saved games

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Hexagonal Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexagonal-chess/id6479699878)

Experience a unique twist on classic chess with six-directional movement and an expanded board. Challenge a friend in person or test your skills against an AI opponent.

**Highlights:** Six-directional piece movement, Expanded board with additional colors, Play against a friend locally, Challenge an AI opponent, Unique chess variant

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess & Variants free?

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

### Is Hexagonal Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess & Variants or Hexagonal Chess?

Chess & Variants is rated higher. Chess & Variants averages 4.1 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Hexagonal Chess averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Chess & Variants or Hexagonal Chess have ads?

Neither Chess & Variants nor Hexagonal Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess & Variants or Hexagonal Chess?

Chess & Variants ships an update every 17 months, and Hexagonal Chess every 6 months. Most recently, Chess & Variants was updated on October 23, 2026 and Hexagonal Chess on October 24, 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.*