Comparison

RA Tracker vs Magic Chess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RA Tracker

This native iOS app allows users to view and track their RetroAchievements.org account. It provides detailed insights into game completion, earned awards, and recent achievements, enhancing the overall gaming experience.

Highlights
  • Track completion progress
  • View game awards
  • See recently earned achievements
  • Discover users with specific achievements
  • Get Achievement of the Week notifications
  • View user leaderboards
  • Manage game backlog
Features
Read full description

RA Tracker for RetroAchievements.org is a native application for users to view and track their RetroAchievements account. RA Tracker has many capabilities, all designed around maximizing the RetroAchievements experience and feeling right at home on your iOS Device. - View your completion progress for all games you are earning achievements for - View awards for mastering a game - View all of your recently earned achievements - See users that have earned specific achievements - View the Achievement of the Week and get a notification when a new one is posted! - View the top ten user leaderboard - Add games to the Backlog to keep track of what you want to play - Search for games by console to see what games currently have Achievements to earn - Create a list of games to track completion progress - Follow other RetroAchievements.org users and track their progress and recently earned achievements - Read RANews As the RetroAchievements.org public API evolves, so will RA Tracker. Stay tuned for updates on what is to come next by following iOSLife on Mastodon.

About

Magic Chess

Experience chess with a magical twist. Every piece has unique spells, adding layers of strategy, resource management, and timing to classic gameplay. Master dozens of abilities and customize your army.

Highlights
  • Unique piece spells and abilities
  • Strategic spellbook with buffs and debuffs
  • Multiple AI difficulty levels
  • Online multiplayer and rating ladder
  • Customizable piece skins
  • Built-in spellbook reference
Features
Read full description

Chess, reimagined. Every piece still moves by the rules you know, but now, every piece has a kit of spells. Magic Chess keeps the depth and discipline of real chess and layers a full spellbook of unique abilities on top, turning every match into a puzzle of timing, resource management, and nerve! FEATURES • A Spellbook Full of Tricks: Learn and master dozens of abilities - buffs, debuffs, board control, resurrection, and more - each with its own cost, cooldown, and counterplay. • Battle-Tested AI: Multiple difficulty tiers to challenge, from a forgiving warm-up to an opponent that punishes every mistake. • Play Online: Challenge friends directly with private match invites, or find an opponent and climb the rating ladder. • Make It Yours: Customize your army in the Dressing Room with unlockable skins for every piece, and earn or purchase in-game currency to expand your collection. • Built-In Spellbook Reference: Never forget what a piece can do; full ability descriptions are always one tap away. Whether you're a lifelong chess player looking for something new, or a strategy fan who wants chess with real teeth, Magic Chess turns the oldest game in the world into something you've never played before. Download free and start casting.

Screenshots

RA Tracker4 screens
Magic Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: RA Tracker at none against Magic Chess's shown. RA Tracker also leads on ratings volume (53 vs 2). Magic Chess's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RA Tracker sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Magic Chess sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Magic Chess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RA Tracker has 53 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of RA Tracker's written reviews are positive against 100% of Magic Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RA Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, Magic Chess every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
RA Tracker versus Magic Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRA TrackerMagic Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (53 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings53 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB129 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperiOSLifeProject Chaos Global, LLC

Customer experience

RA Tracker

All ratings42 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral11.9%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews48 reviews
Positive85.4%
Neutral10.4%
Negative4.2%

Magic Chess

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

RA Tracker

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Achievement status flags removed from list
  • Profile pictures not updating
  • Sorting options for achievements not working
  • App hangs upon opening occasionally
  • Games show as 'Mock Title'/'Mock Console'
Show 9 more
  • Followed users list not showing
  • Want to play list not showing
  • App crashes upon opening on iPhone 12 (iOS 18.2 Beta)
  • App crashes on launch with iOS 18
  • No screenshot found at top of profile
  • Comments button shows 'page not found'
  • Wii icon not visible/in consoles section
  • Shows games on profile not played, doesn't show played games
  • Notifications for unlocking achievements not working/featured

Requested features

14 requests
  • Show missable/progression/win condition flags on list
  • Show time played per game
  • Show beaten/mastered status next to games
  • Add iPad support
  • Search for other games and add to watch/want to play lists
Show 9 more
  • Native iPad app
  • Landscape mode and controller support
  • Universal game search
  • View comments under games and achievements
  • More widget options (profile, mastery badges, leaderboards, activity)
  • Ability to get AotM (Achievement of the Month)
  • Apple Watch version
  • Notifications for new achievements
  • Option to hide unlocked achievements

Magic Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

RA Tracker

One-time4
  • Small Tip$0.99
  • Nice Tip$2.99
  • Generous Tip$4.99
Show 1 more
  • Out of this World Tip$9.99
4 purchases

Magic Chess

One-time4
  • 500 Magic Coins$4.99
  • 1200 Magic Coins$9.99
  • 2500 Magic Coins$19.99
Show 1 more
  • 7000 Magic Coins$49.99

Questions

Is RA Tracker free?
RA Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Magic Chess free?
Magic Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RA Tracker or Magic Chess?
Magic Chess is rated higher. RA Tracker averages 4.5 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while Magic Chess averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do RA Tracker or Magic Chess have ads?
Magic Chess shows ads; RA Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, RA Tracker or Magic Chess?
RA Tracker ships an update every 2 weeks, and Magic Chess every 4 days. Most recently, RA Tracker was updated on October 24, 2026 and Magic Chess on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons