# Active Chess vs Lifeline Chess

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lifeline Chess at every 4 days against Active Chess's every 39 months. Lifeline Chess also leads on ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Lifeline Chess 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 Lifeline Chess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively.

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, Lifeline Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Chess | Lifeline Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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/lifeline-chess/id6755204248/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **4** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 4 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) | [Michael Tillman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1852589500) |

## 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 |


### Lifeline Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lifeline-chess/id6755204248)

This app offers a fresh take on chess with unique power-ups called Lifelines. It features real-time multiplayer, custom game creation, bot building, and a tournament system. Sharpen your skills with AI analysis and community-shared puzzles.

**Highlights:** 8 Unique Lifelines, Real-Time Multiplayer, Create Bots, Custom Games & Challenges, Tournament System, Stockfish 17.1 Analysis, Community Puzzles

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifeline Chess Full Game | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Active Chess free?

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

### Is Lifeline Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Active Chess or Lifeline Chess?

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

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

Neither Active Chess nor Lifeline Chess shows ads.

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

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, and Lifeline Chess every 4 days. Most recently, Active Chess was updated on October 9, 2026 and Lifeline Chess 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.*