Comparison

8bit Chess vs Kishmat

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

Head to head
About

8bit Chess

Master chess tactics with over 10,000 puzzles in a classic 8-bit style. Features include various puzzle types, difficulty levels, and a hint system. Play offline or against an AI.

Highlights
  • 10,000+ curated chess puzzles
  • 7 difficulty levels
  • Mate in X and themed puzzles
  • Endgame and Opening puzzles
  • Freeplay against ChessJS AI
  • Offline play
  • Hint system
Features
Read full description

8bit Chess - Chess Puzzles Training Master chess tactics with thousands of puzzles in classic 8-bit style! FEATURES: • 10,000+ curated chess puzzles • 7 difficulty levels (600-2500+ rating) • Mate in X puzzles • 10+ themed puzzles • Endgame puzzles • Opening puzzles • Freeplay against ChessJS AI after completing a puzzle • 100+ Beautiful retro themes (with many more to come!) • Hint system for learning • Progress tracking • Offline play PREMIUM UPGRADE: • Remove all ads • Unlock all themes • Unlimited Hints • Support indie development Perfect for beginners learning tactics or masters staying sharp. Download now and become a chess puzzle master!

About

Kishmat

Features
Read full description

Kishmat is a chess app for playing on the same iPhone or iPad. Play against another person locally, or switch to Solo mode and play against the built-in computer opponent. The Solo engine searches legal chess moves on the device and shows a live visual of the search while it thinks. You can choose Eco, Mid, or Max power depending on how much time you want the engine to spend per move. No accounts, no tracking, no ads, and no in-app purchases. Features: - Local two-player chess - Single-player Solo mode - Adjustable engine power - Live search visualization - Legal move highlighting - Undo, reset, and board flip - Check, checkmate, and stalemate detection - Castling, en passant, and pawn promotion

Screenshots

8bit Chess4 screens
Kishmat1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Kishmat at none against 8bit Chess's 1. Kishmat also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). 8bit Chess's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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. 8bit Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Kishmat asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

8bit Chess ships an update fortnightly, Kishmat every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
8bit Chess versus Kishmat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter8bit ChessKishmat
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKrishan PanduwawalaArash Parnia

In-app purchases

1 purchases

8bit Chess

One-time1
  • 8bit Chess Puzzles Premium$3.99
None

Kishmat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 8bit Chess free?
8bit Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kishmat free?
Kishmat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do 8bit Chess or Kishmat have ads?
8bit Chess shows ads; Kishmat does not.
Which is updated more often, 8bit Chess or Kishmat?
8bit Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Kishmat every 4 days. Most recently, 8bit Chess was updated on October 20, 2026 and Kishmat on October 8, 2026.

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