# Tactics vs Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 92% against Tactics's 14%. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (118 vs 3). Tactics's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (5.2 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Tactics is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Tactics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 14% of Tactics's written reviews are positive against 92% of Chess's.

Tactics ships an update every 3 weeks, Chess fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tactics | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | [3.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tactics/id576295991/reviews) | **[4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **118** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 9 MB | 237 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.2** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ChessBase GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/417720797) | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) |

## What reviewers say

### Tactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tactics/id576295991)

Sharpen your chess skills by solving tactical puzzles. The app offers hints and tracks your progress, with positions repeating for practice. Compete for a high score and play as a guest or with your PlayChess account.

**Highlights:** Solve chess tactic positions, Get hints for solutions, Guest or PlayChess account login, Repeat unsolved positions, High score list, Universal app support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 tactics positions | $0.99 | one-time |


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545)

Manage and study chess databases and games in PGN format with advanced analysis tools. Supports game creation, modification, and import from various sources. Includes engine analysis, opening book management, and puzzle training.

**Highlights:** PGN database and game management, Create, modify, and import games, Advanced engine analysis with Stockfish, Opening book and ChessBase support, Chess 960 (Fischer Random) support, Diagram recognition for PGN conversion, Puzzle training and online play

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $8.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Powerful chess database features
- 👍 Comprehensive analysis tools
- 👍 Excellent PGN management
- 👍 Great value for price
- 👍 Frequent updates and improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Some users find it confusing
- 🐛 Missing dark mode

**Reported bugs**

- Problem saving updated game data
- Engine stopped working after 30 seconds
- App crashes when adding annotations without hitting 'edit mode' first
- Crash opening .pgn in landscape mode
- Crashes when selecting a cell with 0 games associated

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Add board flip button
- Improve interface for screen reader users
- Add private game feature with code
- Add computer whole game analysis with annotations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tactics free?

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

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tactics or Chess?

Chess is rated higher. Tactics averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Chess averages 4.7 from 118 ratings.

### Do Tactics or Chess have ads?

Neither Tactics nor Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tactics or Chess?

Tactics ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess fortnightly. Most recently, Tactics was updated on October 10, 2026 and Chess 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.*