# Active Chess vs Zenmate

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zenmate at none against Active Chess's 3. Zenmate also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 39 months). Active Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. Zenmate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, Zenmate every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Chess | Zenmate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexey Polunin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541894864) | [Timothy Nice](https://appshunter.io/developer/1717668220) |

## 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 |


### Zenmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenmate-mindful-chess/id6776354031)

**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 Zenmate free?

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

### Do Active Chess or Zenmate have ads?

Neither Active Chess nor Zenmate shows ads.

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

Active Chess ships an update every 39 months, and Zenmate every 6 weeks. Most recently, Active Chess was updated on September 23, 2026 and Zenmate on September 13, 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.*