# Chess Tactics and Lessons vs Chess King

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Tactics and Lessons at none against Chess King's shown. Chess King's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Tactics and Lessons sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Chess King sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chess Tactics and Lessons against 4.8 for Chess King. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.1K and 2.5K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Chess Tactics and Lessons's written reviews are positive against 78% of Chess King's.

Chess Tactics and Lessons ships an update every 5 weeks, Chess King every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Tactics and Lessons | Chess King |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (5.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-and-lessons/id531275673/reviews)** | [4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **5.1K** | 2.5K |
| Positive reviews | **85.4% of reviews** | 78.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 114 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lockwood Productions, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/466891332) | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Tactics and Lessons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-and-lessons/id531275673)

Master chess strategy and openings with this app. Practice unlimited tactics, follow detailed lessons, and save your favorite openings. Create your own content and learn from a supportive community.

**Highlights:** Unlimited tactics practice, Detailed chess lessons, Opening practice and saving, Create custom tactics and lessons, Learn from mistakes with explanations, Community comments and discussion, Customizable board design

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly PRO Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Pro Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Marble Chess Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Orange Chess Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Green Chess Board | $0.99 | one-time |
| Enable Saved Puzzles | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 😃 Great for learning tactics
- 👍 Enjoyable and addictive
- 🚀 Excellent training tool
- 🤗 Helpful for improving chess skills
- 💯 Best tactics app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy after updates
- 💰 Subscription model too expensive
- 🤔 Some tactics are questionable
- 🙄 Too many queen sacrifices
- 😣 Difficult to navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Server connection issues
- White screen after updates
- Inability to delete account
- Incorrect move explanations

**Requested features**

- Ability to save tactics
- Offline mode
- Difficulty filtering
- Improved user interface
- More comprehensive lessons


### Chess King

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239)

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

**Highlights:** 100+ learning courses, Interactive theoretical lessons, High-quality, double-checked puzzles, Personal chess trainer, Computer analysis, Offline support, Chess tasks for kids

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT-ART: The Best Tactics | $5.99 | per month |
| Chess King University | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $17.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $89.99 | per year |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $119.99 | per year |
| Chess: From Beginner to Club | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Tactics for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Blunders | $12.99 | one-time |
| CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics) | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Best game in the world
- 👍 Helpful for practice
- 💡 Excellent tutorial and training content
- 🎨 Well-chosen puzzles
- 🧠 Improves pattern recognition and tactics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive
- 🐛 Crashes on iPhone and iPad
- 🐛 Buggy after recent update
- 🤔 Confusing interface and lack of instructions
- 🤔 Difficult for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on M1 Macs
- Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
- Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
- Cannot restore purchases
- Doesnot sync progress across devices

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve user interface and design
- Add more opening courses
- Provide better explanations for moves
- Allow resetting progress


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Tactics and Lessons free?

Chess Tactics and Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess King free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Tactics and Lessons or Chess King?

Chess Tactics and Lessons is rated higher. Chess Tactics and Lessons averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while Chess King averages 4.8 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Chess Tactics and Lessons or Chess King have ads?

Chess King shows ads; Chess Tactics and Lessons does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Tactics and Lessons or Chess King?

Chess Tactics and Lessons ships an update every 5 weeks, and Chess King every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess Tactics and Lessons was updated on November 12, 2026 and Chess King on November 11, 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.*