# Simple chess board vs Chess Prime

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Prime at none against Simple chess board's 1. Chess Prime also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 10 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Simple chess board against 4.4 for Chess Prime. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 68 and 71 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of Simple chess board's written reviews are positive against 84% of Chess Prime's.

Simple chess board ships an update every 10 months, Chess Prime every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple chess board | Chess Prime |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560/reviews)** | [4.4 (71 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime/id632959906/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 68 | **71** |
| Positive reviews | **88.2% of reviews** | 83.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luis Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/453216096) | [Vinta Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/505409005) |

## 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 Prime

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime/id632959906)

This app offers a challenging chess experience for players of all levels. It features a versatile AI engine, customizable game modes, and helpful tools for beginners. Save your progress and replay games to improve your skills.

**Highlights:** One player and two player modes, Challenging AI with flexible difficulty, Start from any position, Save and load games, Show legal moves for beginners, Undo and redo moves

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

**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 Prime free?

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

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

Simple chess board is rated higher. Simple chess board averages 4.5 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Chess Prime averages 4.4 from 71 ratings.

### Do Simple chess board or Chess Prime have ads?

Simple chess board shows ads; Chess Prime does not.

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

Simple chess board ships an update every 10 months, and Chess Prime every 2 weeks. Most recently, Simple chess board was updated on October 16, 2026 and Chess Prime on October 14, 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.*