# Checkmate vs dumb MESSAGE

The clearest difference is rating: dumb MESSAGE at 5.0 against Checkmate's 4.5. dumb MESSAGE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Checkmate's advantage is ratings volume (995 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Checkmate sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. dumb MESSAGE asks for nothing beyond the download.

dumb MESSAGE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Checkmate has 995 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Checkmate | dumb MESSAGE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (995 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkmate-scan-your-friends/id6443729738/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dumb-message/id6789644646/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **995** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 31.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days | Every 2 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 42 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marriage Pact](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597673980) | [Matt Jakob](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889098545) |

## What reviewers say

### Checkmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkmate-scan-your-friends/id6443729738)

Discover your compatibility with others by answering questions about yourself and scanning friends. This app uses advanced technology to calculate your long-term odds together, helping you find your best match.

**Highlights:** Answer personality questions, Scan friends for compatibility, Calculate long-term odds, Discover best matches, Powered by Nobel Prize technology

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Checkmate Gold | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Checkmate Gold | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Fun and interactive app
- 👍 Great UI/UX design
- 💡 Interesting concept of personality matching

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 📵 Account/login issues
- 🤖 Inaccurate compatibility results
- 🚫 Inability to delete account or change answers

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to receive verification codes
- Inability to answer new questions due to errors
- Onboarding issues and lost progress
- Compatibility scans not working for many users

**Requested features**

- Add MBTI or personality type feature
- Allow users to search and add friends
- Implement a 'send all' option for questions
- Add privacy controls for scan updates
- Improve retrospective analysis of compatibility


### dumb MESSAGE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dumb-message/id6789644646)

Collaborate on a shared pixel canvas with friends in real-time. Draw, stamp images, or use dictation to add text to the evolving artwork. Experience a minimalist social interaction without feeds or typing indicators.

**Highlights:** Shared pixel canvas, Real-time drawing, Stamp images as pixels, Dictation to pixel text, Day and Night modes

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Checkmate free?

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

### Is dumb MESSAGE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Checkmate or dumb MESSAGE?

dumb MESSAGE is rated higher. Checkmate averages 4.5 out of 5 from 995 ratings, while dumb MESSAGE averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Checkmate or dumb MESSAGE have ads?

Neither Checkmate nor dumb MESSAGE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Checkmate or dumb MESSAGE?

Checkmate ships an update every 2 days, and dumb MESSAGE every 2 days. Most recently, Checkmate was updated on November 3, 2026 and dumb MESSAGE 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.*