# Active Chess vs Gryphon Chess

The clearest difference is update cadence: Gryphon Chess at every 3 weeks against Active Chess's every 39 months. Gryphon Chess also leads on iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Gryphon Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, Gryphon Chess every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Chess | Gryphon Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-chess/id6449165496/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) | [Animeeples LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1475706602) |

## 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 |


### Gryphon Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gryphon-chess/id6477377353)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Handful of Gems | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pile of Gems | $4.99 | one-time |
| Crate of Gems | $9.99 | one-time |
| Barrel of Gems | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Active Chess free?

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

### Is Gryphon Chess free?

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

### Do Active Chess or Gryphon Chess have ads?

Neither Active Chess nor Gryphon Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Active Chess or Gryphon Chess?

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, and Gryphon Chess every 3 weeks. Most recently, Active Chess was updated on October 9, 2026 and Gryphon Chess on October 14, 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.*