Comparison

Chess by Staple Games vs Border Chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess by Staple Games

Experience classic chess with a beautifully crafted app designed for all Apple devices. Enjoy solo practice against AI, local multiplayer, or online matches. Features include all official rules, accessibility options, and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • AI challenges with 6 difficulty levels
  • Pass & Play for local face-to-face games
  • Online multiplayer via Game Center
  • Local wireless play over Bluetooth/Wi-Fi
  • Full implementation of all chess rules
  • Cross-device compatibility (iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.)
  • Accessibility features (VoiceOver, high contrast)
Features
Read full description

Chess. Nothing more. Nothing less. We built the chess app we always wanted—one that respects the game and respects your time. No subscriptions. No ads interrupting your concentration. No bloated features you'll never use. Just chess, beautifully crafted for every Apple device you own. PLAY YOUR WAY • Solo Practice — Challenge our AI across 6 difficulty levels, from casual beginner to near-unbeatable expert. • Pass & Play — Hand your device to a friend and play face to face. • Online Multiplayer — Connect through Game Center to challenge friends or get matched with players worldwide. • Local Wireless — Play with someone nearby over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. No internet required. REAL CHESS. ALL THE RULES. Every rule, implemented correctly: • Castling (kingside and queenside) • En passant captures • Pawn promotion to any piece • Check, checkmate, and stalemate • Threefold repetition draws • Fifty-move rule ONE APP. EVERY APPLE DEVICE. iPhone. iPad. Mac. Apple TV. Apple Watch. Vision Pro. DESIGNED FOR EVERYONE • Full VoiceOver support with voice-guided gameplay • High contrast and colorblind modes • Large text and zoomed display options • 5 beautiful board themes • Dark mode TRACK YOUR JOURNEY • Climb through 10 ranks from Beginner to Mythic • Track your win streaks and daily play habits • Game Center achievements and leaderboards THE STAPLE GAMES PROMISE We make games the way they should be made. Simple interfaces. Thoughtful design. No dark patterns. Just quality software you can rely on. Download Chess by Staple Games. Play a match. That's it.

About

Border Chess

Features
Read full description

Border Chess is chess with room to breathe. The board is 10×10: standard FIDE chess on the inner 8×8, plus one empty square on every side. Kings, queens, and edge pawns can use the border for extra maneuvering — same rules you know, with new tactical possibilities. PLAY VS BOT Challenge Fairy-Stockfish, tuned for the border board. Choose your difficulty and improve your game against a strong computer opponent. PLAY WITH FRIEND Pass-and-play on one iPhone. The board automatically flips each turn so both players see the game from their side. BUILT FOR CHESS PLAYERS • Standard rules: castling, en passant, promotion, check, checkmate, stalemate, 50-move rule • Legal move hints, last-move highlight, and check highlight • Clean, modern board inspired by chess.com • Portrait mode, optimized for iPhone NO ONLINE MULTIPLAYER (YET) v1 is offline on your device — bot mode and local two-player only. No account required. OPEN SOURCE Border Chess is free software under the GNU GPL v3. Source code and license: https://github.com/sahasrarjn/chess-app The bot engine uses Fairy-Stockfish (GPL v3). Chess piece artwork from the Lichess Maestro set. Play in your browser too: https://borderchess.org

Screenshots

Chess by Staple Games3 screens
Border Chess3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Border Chess at every 2 days against Chess by Staple Games's every 5 months. Chess by Staple Games's advantage is device support (6 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess by Staple Games ships an update every 5 months, Border Chess every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Chess by Staple Games versus Border Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess by Staple GamesBorder Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — betteriPhone
Requires iOS1717.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStaple GamesSahasra Ranjan

In-app purchases

None

Chess by Staple Games

No in-app purchases

None

Border Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess by Staple Games free?
Chess by Staple Games is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Border Chess free?
Border Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Chess by Staple Games or Border Chess have ads?
Neither Chess by Staple Games nor Border Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess by Staple Games or Border Chess?
Chess by Staple Games ships an update every 5 months, and Border Chess every 2 days. Most recently, Chess by Staple Games was updated on November 5, 2026 and Border Chess on October 31, 2026.

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