# Active Chess vs Chessed Up

The clearest difference is ads: Active Chess at none against Chessed Up's shown. Chessed Up's advantage is update cadence (every 10 months vs every 39 months) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Active Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Chessed Up sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Active Chess against 5.0 for Chessed Up. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, Chessed Up every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Chess | Chessed Up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessed-up/id6464438850/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **4** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | **Every 10 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) | [Marcelo Costa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1705990517) |

## What reviewers say

### Active Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496)

Experience a unique chess variant with randomized starting positions and modified rules for dynamic gameplay. Develop your strategic thinking and planning skills in this engaging board game.

**Highlights:** Randomized starting positions, Modified chess rules, Strategic gameplay, Cognitive skill development, Choice of board sizes, Play against a chess bot

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Positions 1 Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Positions 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Positions 3 Month | $4.99 | per 3 months |


### Chessed Up

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessed-up/id6464438850)

Experience chess with a chaotic twist. This game reimagines traditional pieces with unique, powerful abilities, offering a fresh challenge for chess enthusiasts. Unlock new pieces and game modes as you progress.

**Highlights:** 12+ special chess pieces, 6 unique game modes, Unlockable pieces and modes, Traditional chess gameplay reimagined, Progressive leveling system

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Active Chess free?

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

### Is Chessed Up free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Active Chess or Chessed Up?

Active Chess and Chessed Up are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Active Chess or Chessed Up have ads?

Chessed Up shows ads; Active Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Active Chess or Chessed Up?

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, and Chessed Up every 10 months. Most recently, Active Chess was updated on October 9, 2026 and Chessed Up 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.*