Comparison

Chess without ads vs Play Chess for iMessage

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

Head to head
About

Chess without ads

Learn and play chess without distractions. This app offers guided lessons for beginners and advanced analysis for experts, helping you improve your game with intelligent suggestions and post-game reviews. Play offline and enjoy a seamless, ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Ad-free learning and play
  • Introductory lessons for beginners
  • Grandmaster move suggestions
  • Game analysis with good/bad moves
  • Supports USCF and FIDE rating scales
  • Strong mobile chess engine
  • Offline play
Features
Read full description

Beginner or advanced, become a chess master, without ever being disturbed by ads. Do you want to master the most prestigious, the classiest game ever, while having fun? It's EASY! For starters, there are no ads to distract you. There's no account to create, and you don't even need to be connected to the Internet. So, how does it work? If you are a beginner, let yourself be guided by the introductory lessons included. The lessons are SHORT and EASY. Right from the start, you begin playing by moving pieces, and you learn the rules of the game while having fun. The first 40 lessons are free. Once you know the rules, you start playing real games! The coach shows you the moves a Grandmaster would pick. Not just one move, but THE 4 BEST MOVES. Sounds too simple? But think about it... How did you learn to speak as a child? Did you take grammar and spelling lessons? Of course not. You listened to the adults talk and then you went for it! Because that's how you learn! This app allows you to do just that, AND IT WORKS! From the very first games, you start learning effortlessly. You immediately enjoy playing, and after a while you notice that the right moves come to mind naturally, as if they were obvious. Gradually, you deactivate the suggestions and play by yourself. At the end of each game, the coach shows you the good and bad moves you've made. You can better understand what happened, and you can even try out other moves to improve. If this sounds unbelievable, you should read the user reviews for our app. It has one of the highest satisfaction ratings on the App Store, in all countries. FOR BEGINNERS, THIS APP... • contains introductory chess lessons that are suitable even for children. The first 40 are free. • shows you all the possible moves of a piece when you touch it. • explains why certain moves are forbidden. • can suggest 4 to 6 excellent moves at any one time. The green button lets you show or hide these suggestions. • can tell you when you can mate your opponent, so you can look for the winning move by yourself. • can warn you when your opponent is about to play a dangerous move. • provides many trainer levels of increasing difficulty. • knows and applies perfectly all the official rules of chess. • is a very competent teacher of a very high level. • analyzes your games and shows you how to improve. FOR EXPERTS: • Both USCF and FIDE rating scales are supported. • This app has one of the strongest chess engines for mobile devices (3040 USCF Elo). • On current devices, as incredible as it sounds, it plays at the world champion level. • The chess engine displays its thinking, up to 20 moves ahead. • You can analyze a game by replaying it. The app indicates bad moves by coloring them red. The 4 best moves in each position are shown in green. • This app supports variations: you can test other moves and then return to your original game. OTHER FEATURES INCLUDE: • The coach can comment on the game as you play (optional). • When the game is over, the coach can analyze it and show you how to improve. • Several beautiful visual themes are included, which you can customize. • 4 playing styles are included, from «cautious» to «suicidal», which you can combine with all available levels. • Includes an opening book of more than one million moves. • Many customization options are available (graphics, sounds, engine output…). • ...and much more... privacy policy: http://www.chesstiger.com/iphone/About_privacy_en.html terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Play Chess for iMessage

Engage in unlimited chess matches directly through iMessage with friends. Customize your game with different boards and pieces. Enjoy a casual, timer-free experience without registration or in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Unlimited chess games
  • Play via iMessage
  • Customizable boards and pieces
  • Play multiple friends simultaneously
  • No timers or ratings
  • No registration required
Features
Read full description

Play unlimited chess games with your friends via iMessage! Chess, ajedrez, xadrez, satranç, scacchi, schach, șah, šachy, şahmat… no matter the language, no matter the name, it's known as the best strategy game in the world. - Choose your favorite board and pieces! - Play multiple friends at once! - Keep it fun, friendly and casual! No timers or ratings to worry about - and no registration required. - App is 100% free - with no in-app purchases. Playing chess has never been so easy! Chess is the most popular game of all time! And Chess.com is the #1 place to play chess online with your friends and other players from all over the world! Please share your suggestions and comments with us. Our support team is happy to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! ABOUT CHESS.COM: Chess.com is created by chess players and people who love chess! Team: http://www.chess.com/about Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chess Twitter: http://twitter.com/chesscom YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/wwwchesscom TwitchTV: http://www.twitch.com/chess

Screenshots

Chess without ads4 screens
Play Chess for iMessage4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess without ads at 91% against Play Chess for iMessage's 29%. Chess without ads also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.1) and ratings volume (39K vs 170). Play Chess for iMessage's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (daily vs fortnightly). On price, ads and device support 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. Chess without ads sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per 7 days. Play Chess for iMessage asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess without ads holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess without ads has 39K ratings behind it against 170, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Chess without ads's written reviews are positive against 29% of Play Chess for iMessage's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess without ads ships an update fortnightly, Play Chess for iMessage daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Chess without ads versus Play Chess for iMessage: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess without adsPlay Chess for iMessage
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (39K ratings) — better3.1 (170 ratings)
Positive reviews90.8% of reviews — better29.2% of reviews
Number of ratings39K — better170
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristophe ThéronChess.com

Customer experience

Chess without ads

All ratings38,324 ratings
Positive94.5%
Neutral2.9%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews487 reviews
Positive90.8%
Neutral2.5%
Negative6.8%

Play Chess for iMessage

All ratings165 ratings
Positive50.3%
Neutral9.1%
Negative40.6%
Written reviews137 reviews
Positive29.2%
Neutral8.0%
Negative62.8%

User reviews

Chess without ads

From 39K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Excellent chess training tool
  • 🚀 Customizable difficulty levels
  • 💡 Helpful move suggestions
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
  • 🚀 No ads or distractions

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Limited free version with paid upgrade
  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 💡 Desire for more chess variants and modes
  • 🔒 Aggressive prompts to upgrade to paid version

Play Chess for iMessage

From 170 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to play without knowing chess rules
  • 🎮 Fun gameplay mechanics for iMessage
  • 🎨 Theme customizer available
  • 🔄 Move guide and helpful features
  • 🎬 Can convert wins to GIF format

Room to improve

  • 🚫 Cannot uninstall app (major recurring issue)
  • 🐛 iCloud login error persists despite being logged in
  • ❌ App doesn't show on home screen
  • 🔄 Must exit and reopen app to see opponent's moves
  • ⚠️ Only playable in portrait mode

Bugs and requests

Chess without ads

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing on the login screen
  • Incompatibility with older devices
  • Inconsistent behavior when running out of free credits

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more chess variants (3-check, king of the hill, etc.)
  • Provide more detailed game analysis and feedback
  • Improve the en passant move functionality
  • Add online/multiplayer capabilities

Play Chess for iMessage

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • iCloud authentication error when already logged in
  • App cannot be uninstalled from device
  • No home screen icon appears after installation
  • Game doesn't work with group chats over 2 people
  • Time calculation error giving opponent extra time
Show 6 more
  • Unconfirmed moves being made automatically
  • App freezes requiring phone restart
  • First move triggers iCloud login requirement
  • Message send failures requiring game restart
  • VPN blocks app functionality
  • Haptic feedback cannot be disabled

Requested features

11 requests
  • Confirmation dialog for accidental game reviews
  • Uninstall functionality
  • Ability to choose piece color or randomize
  • CPU/AI opponent mode
  • Fischer random chess mode
Show 6 more
  • Android cross-platform compatibility
  • Sticker support
  • Haptic feedback toggle option
  • Auto-update moves without closing app
  • Resend option for failed messages
  • Link chess.com account integration

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Chess without ads

Subscriptions3
  • PRO, 1 week$0.497 Days
  • PRO, 1 month$0.991 Month
  • PRO, 3 months$1.993 Months
One-time4
  • Learn chess$4.99
  • PRO, for life (SALE!)$9.99
  • PRO, for life (regular price)$12.99
Show 1 more
  • PRO FOR LIFE - TODAY ONLY$14.99
None

Play Chess for iMessage

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess without ads free?
Chess without ads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Play Chess for iMessage free?
Play Chess for iMessage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess without ads or Play Chess for iMessage?
Chess without ads is rated higher. Chess without ads averages 4.7 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while Play Chess for iMessage averages 3.1 from 170 ratings.
Do Chess without ads or Play Chess for iMessage have ads?
Neither Chess without ads nor Play Chess for iMessage shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess without ads or Play Chess for iMessage?
Chess without ads ships an update fortnightly, and Play Chess for iMessage daily. Most recently, Chess without ads was updated on October 30, 2026 and Play Chess for iMessage on October 27, 2026.

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