# Checkmate vs Checkmate! Play and Learn

The clearest difference is ads: Checkmate at none against Checkmate! Play and Learn's shown. Checkmate! Play and Learn's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.2). On price, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Checkmate sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Checkmate! Play and Learn sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Checkmate ships an update fortnightly, Checkmate! Play and Learn every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Checkmate | Checkmate! Play and Learn |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkmate-chess-puzzles/id6755747166/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 2 MB | 189 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.2 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Emotion Computer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1804679421) | [Fardeen Butt Muhammad Kashif Butt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854379332) |

## What reviewers say

### Checkmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkmate-chess-puzzles/id6755747166)

Sharpen your chess tactics with a daily "Mate in X" puzzle. Each challenge is drawn from real games and offers instant feedback on your moves. Perfect for quick daily practice or in-depth tactical training.

**Highlights:** Daily Mate in X challenges, Instant move feedback, AI Trainer for scenarios, Real chess positions, Tactical vision sharpening

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coin Bundle Small | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coin Bundle Medium | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Bundle Large | $9.99 | one-time |
| Coin Bundle Extreme | $19.99 | one-time |


### Checkmate! Play and Learn

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/checkmate-play-and-learn/id6756657769)

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Pack | $2.49 | one-time |
| Mega Coin Pack | $3.49 | one-time |
| Starter Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| Power Bundle | $6.99 | one-time |
| Ultimate Unlock Bundle | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Checkmate free?

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

### Is Checkmate! Play and Learn free?

Checkmate! Play and Learn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Checkmate or Checkmate! Play and Learn have ads?

Checkmate! Play and Learn shows ads; Checkmate does not.

### Which is updated more often, Checkmate or Checkmate! Play and Learn?

Checkmate ships an update fortnightly, and Checkmate! Play and Learn every 9 days. Most recently, Checkmate was updated on October 24, 2026 and Checkmate! Play and Learn on October 25, 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.*