# Mancala. vs CheckerChess

The clearest difference is price: Mancala. at Free against CheckerChess's $2.99. Mancala. also leads on ratings volume (37K vs 3) and chart position (#130 vs unranked). CheckerChess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On ads there is nothing between them.

Mancala. is free to download; CheckerChess costs $2.99 up front. Mancala. sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. CheckerChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

CheckerChess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mancala. has 37K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Mancala.'s written reviews are positive against 100% of CheckerChess's.

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, CheckerChess every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mancala. | CheckerChess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancala/id615261740/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkerchess/id6757169838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 79.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#130** | — |
| Size | 85 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 26.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sergey Skosyrev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1141722489) | [Victor Joseph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1865038990) |

## What reviewers say

### Mancala.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mancala/id615261740)

**Currently charting:** #130 Top Free · Trivia, #158 Top Grossing · Trivia (US App Store)

Experience Mancala, an ancient strategy board game. Move marbles counter-clockwise, aiming to collect the most in your home hole. Enjoy a classic game of skill and foresight.

**Highlights:** Ancient board game gameplay, Counter-clockwise marble movement, Strategic home hole collection, Simple rules, deep strategy, Single-player game

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 50 diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| 55 diamonds | $1.99 | one-time |
| 90 diamonds | $2.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Features | $4.99 | one-time |
| 150 diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Avalanche Advanced Features | $4.99 | one-time |
| 145 diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| 180 diamonds | $6.99 | one-time |
| 350 diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| 750 diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Well-built app
- 👍 Enjoyable to play
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Great to learn
- 👍 Fast gameplay for practice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 AI too easy to beat
- 💰 Paid version required for more features
- 💰 Hints/diamonds cost money
- 🤔 Confusing rules and gameplay
- 🤔 Predictable AI patterns

**Reported bugs**

- Hint button not working properly
- Peg solitaire mode has unsolvable levels

**Requested features**

- Multiplayer mode
- Difficulty settings for AI
- Earn in-game currency through gameplay
- More single-player modes and puzzles
- Clearer in-app instructions and rules


### CheckerChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkerchess/id6757169838)

This two-player strategy game blends the tactical depth of chess with hidden roles and bluffing. Players secretly assign powerful pieces like a General and Snipers to their army, adding psychological warfare and deduction to every move. Win by capturing the enemy General or advancing your own.

**Highlights:** Hidden role selection, Real-time online multiplayer, Private rooms for friends, Dice-based ranged combat, Chain jumping mechanics, Intuitive interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mancala. free?

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

### Is CheckerChess free?

CheckerChess costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mancala. or CheckerChess?

CheckerChess is rated higher. Mancala. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while CheckerChess averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Mancala. or CheckerChess have ads?

Neither Mancala. nor CheckerChess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mancala. or CheckerChess?

Mancala. ships an update every 2 months, and CheckerChess every 4 months. Most recently, Mancala. was updated on November 1, 2026 and CheckerChess on October 24, 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.*