# Play960 vs ChessBase Mobile Chess

The clearest difference is rating: Play960 at 5.0 against ChessBase Mobile Chess's 2.9. Play960 also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1). ChessBase Mobile Chess's advantage is ratings volume (18 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChessBase Mobile Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Play960 asks for nothing beyond the download.

Play960 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChessBase Mobile Chess has 18 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Play960 ships an update every 3 months, ChessBase Mobile Chess every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play960 | ChessBase Mobile Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play960/id6468419899/reviews)** | [2.9 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | — | 40.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 14 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Claude Banta](https://appshunter.io/developer/1670517858) | [ChessBase GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/417720797) |

## What reviewers say

### Play960

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play960/id6468419899)

Generate random Chess960 positions for over-the-board play. You can view positions by number, reverse lookup using a piece keyboard, and customize the display. Easily copy FEN notation to other apps.

**Highlights:** Generate random Chess960 positions, View positions by number, Reverse lookup with piece keyboard, Customizable display options, Copy/paste FEN notation, Full-screen mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### ChessBase Mobile Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessbase-mobile-chess/id6739000093)

Access a vast chess game database, save and analyze your own games, and practice openings. This app offers advanced notation and sharing features, with a free tier and optional premium upgrades for more extensive cloud storage and search capabilities.

**Highlights:** Access 13+ million chess games, Save and sync personal game databases, Analyze games with built-in engine, Live opening book statistics, Create and practice opening repertoires, Advanced game notation and sharing, PGN file compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ChessBase Premium (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play960 free?

Play960 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ChessBase Mobile Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Play960 or ChessBase Mobile Chess?

Play960 is rated higher. Play960 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while ChessBase Mobile Chess averages 2.9 from 18 ratings.

### Do Play960 or ChessBase Mobile Chess have ads?

Neither Play960 nor ChessBase Mobile Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Play960 or ChessBase Mobile Chess?

Play960 ships an update every 3 months, and ChessBase Mobile Chess every 6 months. Most recently, Play960 was updated on October 5, 2026 and ChessBase Mobile Chess on October 18, 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.*