# Pool With Friends vs Chess Royale

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Royale at 60% against Pool With Friends's 14%. Chess Royale also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.6) and ratings volume (20K vs 5). Pool With Friends's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Royale sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Pool With Friends asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Royale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Pool With Friends's written reviews are positive against 60% of Chess Royale's.

Pool With Friends ships an update every 5 months, Chess Royale every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pool With Friends | Chess Royale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pool-with-friends/id544324534/reviews) | **[4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **20K** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **59.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#176** |
| Size | 73 MB | 490 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CREATIVE STAR SOFT SRL](https://appshunter.io/developer/1171234380) | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) |

## What reviewers say

### Pool With Friends

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pool-with-friends/id544324534)

Engage in exciting 8 ball pool matches on your iOS device. Practice your skills against friends or random players with a realistic 3D simulator and smooth controls. Learn the game's rules as you play in this free, immersive billiard experience.

**Highlights:** Multiplayer billiard game, Realistic 3D simulator, Beautiful and realistic graphics, Learn game rules while playing, Smooth gameplay and controls, Play with friends offline or online

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chess Royale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Free · Strategy (US App Store)

Engage in the classic game of chess with millions worldwide. This app offers AI challenges, multiplayer matches, and extensive training tools including puzzles and post-game analysis to improve your strategic skills.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Chess puzzles, Post-game analysis, Beginner and advanced training, Multiple game modes

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Vip | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Vip | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Vip | $39.99 | per year |
| Tiny Coins Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Gems Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gems Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 Seamless matchmaking
- 💡 Helpful chess lessons and puzzles
- 🤩 Great for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and disruptive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Long wait times between games due to ads
- 🤖 Suspicion of playing against bots instead of real players

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect puzzle solutions being marked as wrong
- Game losses due to connection issues or app freezes
- Inconsistent trophy/ranking system
- Inability to report cheating or suspicious behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to play longer timed games
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- More advanced chess analysis and training features
- Improved matchmaking to pair players of similar skill levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pool With Friends free?

Pool With Friends is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Pool With Friends or Chess Royale?

Chess Royale is rated higher. Pool With Friends averages 2.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Chess Royale averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.

### Do Pool With Friends or Chess Royale have ads?

Chess Royale shows ads; Pool With Friends does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pool With Friends or Chess Royale?

Pool With Friends ships an update every 5 months, and Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Most recently, Pool With Friends was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess Royale on November 9, 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.*