# Simple chess board vs Chess Board app

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simple chess board at 88% against Chess Board app's 38%. Simple chess board also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (68 vs 3). Chess Board app's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Simple chess board sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Board app asks for nothing beyond the download.

Simple chess board holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple chess board has 68 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Simple chess board's written reviews are positive against 38% of Chess Board app's.

Simple chess board ships an update every 10 months, Chess Board app every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple chess board | Chess Board app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-board-app/id1116473992/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **88.2% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 months** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luis Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/453216096) | [Kazuya Maeda](https://appshunter.io/developer/789154894) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple chess board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560)

This app provides a digital chessboard with unrestricted piece movement and a configurable chess clock. Save and load board positions, undo/redo moves, and even use checker pieces. It's ideal for analyzing games or setting up custom scenarios.

**Highlights:** Free piece movement, Undo/Redo functionality, Board rotation, Checker piece option, Save/load positions, Configurable chess clock, Tweet current position

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

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

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Great for study and practice
- 👍 No restrictions or 'help' functions
- 👍 Allows setting up custom positions
- 👍 Useful for playing through games

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Pieces not bound by rules
- 🤔 Graphics can be distracting/ugly
- 🤔 Aggressive board colors
- 🤔 Clocks take up screen space
- 🤔 Pieces can shift unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard not appearing to enter text/save
- Cannot figure out how to save position
- Pieces shift on their own
- Kings and queens on wrong squares initially
- Save position fails with 'You must insert text' error

**Requested features**

- Add scoresheet functionality
- Export game for analysis
- Move counter
- Portrait view on iPad
- Board expansion to fill screen


### Chess Board app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-board-app/id1116473992)

A straightforward application for playing chess. It allows users to freely move pieces on a digital board, offering a simple and direct chess experience.

**Highlights:** Free chess board, Free piece movement, Simple interface, Digital chess board

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple chess board free?

Simple chess board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess Board app free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Simple chess board or Chess Board app?

Simple chess board is rated higher. Simple chess board averages 4.5 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Chess Board app averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Simple chess board or Chess Board app have ads?

Simple chess board shows ads; Chess Board app does not.

### Which is updated more often, Simple chess board or Chess Board app?

Simple chess board ships an update every 10 months, and Chess Board app every 12 months. Most recently, Simple chess board was updated on October 23, 2026 and Chess Board app 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.*