# Big Chess vs CombatChess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CombatChess at none against Big Chess's 6. CombatChess also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Big Chess's advantage is ratings volume (38 vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Big Chess sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. CombatChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

CombatChess holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Big Chess has 38 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Big Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, CombatChess every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Big Chess | CombatChess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-chess-online-strategy/id6745835661/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/combatchess/id6788577357/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **38** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 86 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Big Chess](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814163739) | [PUNCHMAN, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229559640) |

## What reviewers say

### Big Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/big-chess-online-strategy/id6745835661)

Experience chess on a larger 10x10 board with new pieces and expanded strategic depth. Play online, challenge friends, train against AI, solve puzzles, and explore nine unique chess variants.

**Highlights:** 10x10 board chess, Nine chess variants, Online ELO matchmaking, AI training up to level 7, Hundreds of puzzles, Game history review, Customizable time controls

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan – All Features | $2.99 | per 6 months |
| Premium Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Plan – All Features | $3.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


### CombatChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/combatchess/id6788577357)

Experience chess with a twist: captures lead to real-time pixel brawls where the winner claims the square. Manage action cards strategically to win fights and defend your pieces. Features a robust chess engine and arcade-style combat mechanics.

**Highlights:** Real-time pixel brawls for captures, Action cards for strategic combat, Persistent damage on pieces, Six-button arcade combat system, King can fight to avoid checkmate, Full-rule chess engine (Stockfish), Turn-based online multiplayer

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Big Chess free?

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

### Is CombatChess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Big Chess or CombatChess?

CombatChess is rated higher. Big Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while CombatChess averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Big Chess or CombatChess have ads?

Neither Big Chess nor CombatChess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Big Chess or CombatChess?

Big Chess ships an update every 3 weeks, and CombatChess every 9 days. Most recently, Big Chess was updated on November 8, 2026 and CombatChess on October 31, 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.*
