# SmallFish Chess for Stockfish vs Last Layer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SmallFish Chess for Stockfish at 79% against Last Layer's 0%. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks) and ratings volume (4.5K vs 4). Last Layer's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Last Layer is free to download; SmallFish Chess for Stockfish costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Last Layer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmallFish Chess for Stockfish has 4.5K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of SmallFish Chess for Stockfish's written reviews are positive against 0% of Last Layer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish ships an update every 3 days, Last Layer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmallFish Chess for Stockfish | Last Layer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (4.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallfish-chess-for-stockfish/id675049147/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/last-layer-speed-cube-guide/id1575027893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.5K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **79.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#15** | — |
| Size | 195 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 27.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ted Wong](https://appshunter.io/developer/570426131) | [Brandon Harris](https://appshunter.io/developer/619590501) |

## What reviewers say

### SmallFish Chess for Stockfish

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

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Paid · Board, #54 Top Paid · Strategy, #158 Top Paid · Games (US App Store)

This app leverages the powerful Stockfish chess engine to help you analyze your games, study strategic thinking, and track your progress. It offers features like blunder checking, graphical evaluations, and opening books without any ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Stockfish chess engine integration, Game analysis with comments, Study Stockfish's thinking, Progress tracking, Blunder checking, Graphical game evaluation, 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


### Last Layer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/last-layer-speed-cube-guide/id1575027893)

This app provides a comprehensive reference for practicing CFOP algorithms used in speedcubing. It includes tools for learning and testing patterns, a scramble generator, and a timer with note-taking capabilities. Enjoy seamless syncing across devices and automatic dark mode.

**Highlights:** CFOP algorithm reference, OLL and PLL patterns, Pattern editing, Favorite patterns, 25 move scramble generator, Solve timer with notes, iCloud sync, Automatic dark mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmallFish Chess for Stockfish free?

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

### Is Last Layer free?

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

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

Last Layer is rated higher. SmallFish Chess for Stockfish averages 4.8 out of 5 from 4.5K ratings, while Last Layer averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do SmallFish Chess for Stockfish or Last Layer have ads?

Neither SmallFish Chess for Stockfish nor Last Layer shows ads.

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

SmallFish Chess for Stockfish ships an update every 3 days, and Last Layer every 3 weeks. Most recently, SmallFish Chess for Stockfish was updated on November 6, 2026 and Last Layer on November 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.*