# Exploding Kittens® 2 vs Chess Pals

The clearest difference is price: Chess Pals at Free against Exploding Kittens® 2's $4.99. Chess Pals also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 20) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Exploding Kittens® 2's advantage is ratings volume (3.7K vs 1) and chart position (#8 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Chess Pals is free to download; Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99 up front. Exploding Kittens® 2 sells 20 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Pals asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Pals holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Exploding Kittens® 2 has 3.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 2 weeks, Chess Pals fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Exploding Kittens® 2 | Chess Pals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-pals/id6761083493/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 59.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 443 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marmalade Game Studio Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/988365603) | [Chad Moellenberg](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887709153) |

## What reviewers say

### Exploding Kittens® 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exploding-kittens-2/id6478287619)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Card, #15 Top Paid · Board, #138 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

Experience the chaotic fun of a popular card game with friends. This digital version features customizable avatars, animated cards, and new ways to play, including the highly requested "Nope" card. Engage in quick rounds of strategy and luck to be the last player standing.

**Highlights:** Customizable avatars, Emoji reactions, Multiple game modes, Animated cards, Online multiplayer, AI opponent

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

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Santa Claws Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Card back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Emoji Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Card Back | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Emoji Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| MysticMayhem Cauldron Creature | $1.99 | one-time |
| Glenn Coco | $1.99 | one-time |
| Sea Rat Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Location | $1.99 | one-time |
| Slice of Heaven Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Yucky Buddy Outfit | $1.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Location | $1.99 | one-time |
| Santa Claws Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Mystic Mayhem Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Beach Day Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Kitchen Chaos Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sun and Spice Bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Explosive Expansions Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast-paced gameplay
- 👍 Charming animations and visuals
- 🤩 Engaging and fun experience
- 🎨 Customizable skins and backgrounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- ⏱️ Slow animations and gameplay
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤖 Unresponsive AI opponents

**Reported bugs**

- Nope card not functioning properly
- Leaderboard not updating correctly
- Inability to leave a game after losing
- Forced account creation for online play

**Requested features**

- Add a turn timer to prevent stalling
- Allow custom deck creation and configuration
- Improve online multiplayer stability and matchmaking
- Bring back the original game's sound effects and personality


### Chess Pals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-pals/id6761083493)

This app makes learning chess fun and magical for children aged 3-5. It features large, friendly pieces, bright visuals, and interactive lessons on how each piece moves, with no reading required. It also includes fun puzzles to reinforce learning.

**Highlights:** Interactive piece introductions, Visual movement guides, Fun, shuffled puzzles, Large tap targets, Offline play, No ads or in-app purchases

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Exploding Kittens® 2 free?

Exploding Kittens® 2 costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Pals free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Chess Pals?

Chess Pals is rated higher. Exploding Kittens® 2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Chess Pals averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Exploding Kittens® 2 or Chess Pals have ads?

Neither Exploding Kittens® 2 nor Chess Pals shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Exploding Kittens® 2 or Chess Pals?

Exploding Kittens® 2 ships an update every 2 weeks, and Chess Pals fortnightly. Most recently, Exploding Kittens® 2 was updated on October 17, 2026 and Chess Pals on October 3, 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.*