# SmallFish Chess for Stockfish vs Chessify

The clearest difference is price: Chessify at Free against SmallFish Chess for Stockfish's $4.99. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 19) and review sentiment (79% vs 46%). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Chessify is free to download; SmallFish Chess for Stockfish costs $4.99 up front. Chessify sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmallFish Chess for Stockfish has 4.5K ratings behind it against 398, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of SmallFish Chess for Stockfish's written reviews are positive against 46% of Chessify's.

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish ships an update every 8 days, Chessify monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmallFish Chess for Stockfish | Chessify |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallfish-chess-for-stockfish/id675049147/reviews)** | [4.4 (398 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 398 |
| Positive reviews | **79.0% of reviews** | 45.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 195 MB | 140 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ted Wong](https://appshunter.io/developer/570426131) | [Chessify Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1397066774) |

## What reviewers say

### SmallFish Chess for Stockfish

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallfish-chess-for-stockfish/id675049147)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Board, #46 Top Paid · Strategy, #131 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

This app leverages the powerful Stockfish chess engine to help you improve your game. Analyze your matches with detailed comments, study the engine's thought process, and track your progress. It offers advanced features like blunder checking and graphical evaluations without any ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Blunder checking, Multiple line analysis, Graphical game evaluation, Game previews, Dark mode support, Endgame tablebase, Opening books

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful chess engine
- 👍 Intuitive and clean interface
- 💡 Customizable board and piece styles
- 🚀 Fast move calculations
- 👍 Helpful analysis and suggestions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Issues with board and coordinate display
- 🐛 Inconsistencies in engine difficulty levels
- 🐛 Problems with PGN file handling
- 👎 Complicated user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when setting up positions
- Incorrect move suggestions and engine evaluations
- Freezing and unresponsiveness during gameplay
- Issues with board and coordinate display alignment

**Requested features**

- Add support for variations and multiple analysis lines
- Implement a two-player mode with piece flipping
- Add PGN file sorting, searching, and folder support
- Provide an option to hide the board and show captured pieces
- Integrate with chess.com and other platforms


### Chessify

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775)

This app offers advanced chess analysis tools, including a real-time chessboard scanner, powerful cloud-based engines, and a unique video finder. Analyze games, puzzles, and learn chess theory with comprehensive features for players of all levels.

**Highlights:** Real chessboard scanner, Superfast cloud chess engine analysis, Video finder for chess positions, Offline play against Stockfish, Opening Explorer with Lichess database, Import/export FEN/PGN, Online real-time Blitz

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (19)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Bronze 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Silver 1 month | $2.49 | per month |
| Gold 1 Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Bronze 12 months | $7.99 | per year |
| Amateur | $12.99 | per month |
| Silver 12 months | $14.99 | per year |
| Gold 12 months | $49.99 | per year |
| Master | $59.99 | per month |
| Amateur Yearly | $129.99 | per year |
| Master | $559.99 | per year |
| SuperFast analysis - 1000 sec. | $0.99 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - 10000sec. | $3.99 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - 30000sec. | $5.99 | one-time |
| Starter Pack | $5.99 | one-time |
| Standard Pack | $11.49 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - 100000sec | $13.99 | one-time |
| Popular Pack | $29.49 | one-time |
| SuperFast analysis - unlimited | $34.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Pack | $117.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📸 Accurate chess board scanning from photos
- 🚀 Fast and efficient position analysis
- ☁️ Cloud-based powerful chess engine (Stockfish)
- 💾 Easy PGN export and saving functionality
- 📚 Perfect for studying chess books

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 📸 Inconsistent scanning accuracy
- ❌ App doesn't work on iOS 18 and older versions
- 💰 Expensive paywall with limited free features
- 🔥 Device overheating issues reported

**Reported bugs**

- Black screen in camera view during scanning
- Scanning omits first or last rank of board
- App crashes when loading images
- Buttons not clickable on certain iOS versions
- Position not recognized from screenshots

**Requested features**

- Add move comments and annotations capability
- Board flip option during gameplay
- Auto-save functionality to prevent position loss
- Ability to edit and extend saved games
- Tactics puzzle mode with move verification


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmallFish Chess for Stockfish free?

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chessify free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SmallFish Chess for Stockfish or Chessify?

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish is rated higher. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Chessify averages 4.4 from 398 ratings.

### Do SmallFish Chess for Stockfish or Chessify have ads?

Neither SmallFish Chess for Stockfish nor Chessify shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmallFish Chess for Stockfish or Chessify?

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish ships an update every 8 days, and Chessify monthly. Most recently, SmallFish Chess for Stockfish was updated on October 26, 2026 and Chessify on October 28, 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.*