Comparison

Fathom vs Chess Maze Challenge

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

Head to head
About

Fathom

Explore great thinkers and philosophies with bite-sized lessons. Understand complex ideas with elegant visuals and build a daily habit of learning. Access over 50 learning paths on diverse philosophical topics.

Highlights
  • Daily philosophy habit building
  • Bite-sized lessons (under 2 minutes)
  • Elegant visual explanations
  • 50+ learning paths
  • Save and review insights
  • Set learning goals
Features
Read full description

Fathom is your guide to the world's most great thinkers and philosophies. - Build your foundational knowledge in one of humanity’s original disciplines. From Socrates to Descartes and from Buddhism to Existentialism take the time to truly understand how some of the world’s wisest people think. - Understand complex concepts quickly, with elegant visuals that clarify key ideas and help you stay focused. - Learn on your schedule. Knock out a lesson in two minutes or less, in bite-sized sessions designed to fit into your week no matter what life throws your way. - Set a learning goal and embark on a multi lesson learning paths into specific philosophies and philosophers - Actually refer back to wisdom when you need it most. Save and review the insights and visuals that matter most to you Explore our rapidly expanding catalog, featuring 50+ learning paths such as: -Buddhist Wisdom for Anxious Minds -Socrates and Plato -Aristotle -Hedonism, Cynicism, Stoicism -Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics -Kant’s Epistemology -Kierkegaard -Feminist Philosophy and Perspectives on Power -Camus ...and much more! -- SUBSCRIPTION PRICING AND TERMS: Fathom offers an auto-renewing yearly subscription and an auto-renewing monthly subscription which allows you full access to all of the content in our catalog for as long as you maintain an active subscription. These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on your country. Payment will be charged to the credit card connected to your iTunes account at the time of initial subscription purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current subscription period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period end date, and the cost of the renewal will be listed. You can manage your subscription and auto-renewal can be turned off by going to your Account Settings after the purchase. Read more about our Privacy Policy here: https://tinyurl.com/4a5p4z8b Read more about our Terms of Service here: https://tinyurl.com/xnmcrbvp

About

Chess Maze Challenge

Features
Read full description

Chess Maze is a simple yet addictive logic game where you learn how chess pieces move - and immediately put that knowledge to the test in action. How does it work? Your piece stands on the board. Enemy pieces control certain squares and you cannot step on them. Your goal is to reach the green square in as few moves as possible — avoiding the danger zones. Play as the Knight, Bishop, Rook, Queen, or King - each piece moves differently and requires a different way of thinking. The board is generated fresh every time, so no two games are the same. Maximum stars to earn: 45. Learn mode - understand before you play Not sure how the Knight moves? Can't remember the castling rules? The Learn section shows every piece on an interactive board — tap any square to see where the piece can move. For each piece you'll find: Movement rules written in plain language Tips for beginners A historical fun fact Who is it for? You're just starting your chess journey and want to get comfortable with piece movements You've been playing for years and want a purely logical exercise - no opponent, no pressure You enjoy puzzles and want something for a few minutes a day How many stars will you manage to collect?

Screenshots

Fathom4 screens
Chess Maze Challenge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Maze Challenge at none against Fathom's 8. Chess Maze Challenge also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). Fathom's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price and device support 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. Fathom sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Chess Maze Challenge asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fathom ships an update weekly, Chess Maze Challenge every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Fathom versus Chess Maze Challenge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFathomChess Maze Challenge
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (507 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews69.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings507 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size191 MB30 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPolywise, Inc.Dawid Wrzesinski

Bugs and requests

Fathom

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Unexpected charges during free trial period
  • Potential issues with app functionality and compatibility

Requested features

3 requests
  • Option to customize or revisit philosopher selections
  • More information about the app's algorithm and learning progression
  • Ability to explore a wider range of philosophical perspectives

Chess Maze Challenge

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Fathom

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription (no trial)$49.991 Year
Show 5 more
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription (Premium)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Yearly Access Premium No Trial$59.991 Year
  • Yearly Sub Premium No Trial$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription Premium7 Days trial$69.991 Year
None

Chess Maze Challenge

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fathom free?
Fathom is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Maze Challenge free?
Chess Maze Challenge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fathom or Chess Maze Challenge have ads?
Fathom shows ads; Chess Maze Challenge does not.
Which is updated more often, Fathom or Chess Maze Challenge?
Fathom ships an update weekly, and Chess Maze Challenge every 2 months. Most recently, Fathom was updated on October 24, 2026 and Chess Maze Challenge on October 5, 2026.

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