# BlueChess vs Chess

The clearest difference is rating: BlueChess at 5.0 against Chess's 3.6. BlueChess also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (50% vs 41%). Chess's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (16 vs 2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BlueChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

BlueChess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 16 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of BlueChess's written reviews are positive against 41% of Chess's.

BlueChess ships an update every 4 months, Chess fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BlueChess | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluechess/id620176785/reviews)** | [3.6 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-wise-3/id788594027/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 40.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 55 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GreenChess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/532381678) | [Marcel Nijman](https://appshunter.io/developer/337888122) |

## What reviewers say

### BlueChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluechess/id620176785)

Engage in strategic gameplay with powerful chess engines. Choose between the BlueChess engine or the highly-rated Stockfish engine for your matches.

**Highlights:** Play against BlueChess engine, Play against Stockfish engine, Strategic gameplay, Free to play

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-wise-3/id788594027)

Engage in chess with a comprehensive suite of tools for analysis, annotation, and online play. Explore game trees with side-lines, add detailed comments, and enjoy a stable FICS server connection. Features include a robust database, opening/endgame browsers, and training videos.

**Highlights:** Game tree representation with side-lines, Detailed game annotation, Stable FICS server communication, Enhanced FICS interface, Improved database and setup screen, Opening and endgame browser, Links to training videos

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock PRO | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BlueChess free?

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

### Is Chess free?

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

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

BlueChess is rated higher. BlueChess averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Chess averages 3.6 from 16 ratings.

### Do BlueChess or Chess have ads?

Neither BlueChess nor Chess shows ads.

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

BlueChess ships an update every 4 months, and Chess fortnightly. Most recently, BlueChess was updated on October 6, 2026 and Chess on October 15, 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.*