# Ingress vs Chess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess at none against Ingress's 8. Chess also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ingress sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Ingress ships an update every 3 weeks, Chess daily. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ingress | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (5.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ingress/id576505181/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 397 MB | 43 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +9 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Niantic Spatial, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1807920956) | [Lung Wai Hor](https://appshunter.io/developer/6779518340) |

## What reviewers say

### Ingress

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ingress/id576505181)

Explore the real world as a battlefield, uncovering mysterious energy and choosing a faction to control it. Team up with other players to capture locations, build strategies, and compete for global dominance in an ever-changing war.

**Highlights:** Real-world exploration, Faction-based gameplay, Location-based battles, Team coordination, Territory control, Augmented reality elements

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C.O.R.E. Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| 1,200 CMU | $0.99 | one-time |
| 2,500 CMU Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| 7,000 CMU Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| 15,000 CMU Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 32,000 CMU Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 90,000 CMU Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| 200,000 CMU Pack | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fantastic game concept
- 👍 Great for getting exercise and exploring
- 🌈 Enjoyable community and social aspects
- 💡 Innovative location-based gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🤖 Concerns about stalking and harassment from other players
- 🤔 Confusing or cluttered user interface in newer versions

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and account problems
- Inaccurate location tracking and portal detection
- Inventory management and recharging bugs
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to change factions without contacting support
- Better portal nomination and review process
- More in-game events and community activities
- Improved performance and stability on older devices


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-and-play/id6818005967)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ingress free?

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

### Is Chess free?

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

### Do Ingress or Chess have ads?

Neither Ingress nor Chess shows ads.

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

Ingress ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess daily. Most recently, Ingress was updated on November 12, 2026 and Chess on October 31, 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.*