# Active Chess vs Trap Chess™

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Trap Chess™ at none against Active Chess's 3. Trap Chess™ also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 39 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Active Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Trap Chess™ asks for nothing beyond the download.

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, Trap Chess™ monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Chess | Trap 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 | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) | [XPlayce, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886996160) |

## 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 |


### Trap Chess™

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/trap-chess/id6760954435)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Active Chess free?

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

### Is Trap Chess™ free?

Trap Chess™ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Active Chess or Trap Chess™ have ads?

Neither Active Chess nor Trap Chess™ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Active Chess or Trap Chess™?

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, and Trap Chess™ monthly. Most recently, Active Chess was updated on October 9, 2026 and Trap Chess™ on October 12, 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.*