Comparison

Chess Offline vs Plain Chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess Offline

Enjoy a distraction-free chess experience with offline play, local pass-and-play, and peer-to-peer multiplayer. Challenge friends or play solo without an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Offline gameplay
  • Local pass-and-play mode
  • Peer-to-peer multiplayer
  • Clean interface
  • Fast play
Features
Read full description

Chess Offline is a clean, focused chess experience built for fast play and zero distractions. Play complete chess games without internet, challenge a friend in local pass-and-play mode, or connect nearby devices with peer-to-peer multiplayer.

About

Plain Chess

Enjoy offline chess matches on your iPhone without ads or accounts. Play against the computer, a friend, or use the AI Coach for strategic advice. Perfect for learning, practicing, or quick games.

Highlights
  • Offline chess play
  • Play against computer
  • Pass-and-play multiplayer
  • AI Coach explanations
  • Saved games
  • No ads or account required
Features
Read full description

Chess without the stress. Play a free game every day, learn from a coach that explains your games, and play the people you know. FREE EVERY DAY Play one new game a day in any mode: one of six rivals, a friend, Quick Match, or pass and play on one iPhone. Solve the daily puzzle, keep your streak going, and get a hint and a threat check in your game. After each game, see how many moments there are to learn from. SIX RIVALS WITH REAL PERSONALITIES From Pip, a beginner learning one move at a time, to Nova, an expert who loves to attack, each rival plays at their own level and talks like themselves. Choose how chatty they are: quiet, friendly or spicy. Every rival is an AI and always labeled as one. PLAY THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW Invite friends through Game Center for a daily game, with up to three days a move, or a live game with a clock. Quick Match finds a player near your level, or one of our AI rivals when nobody's around. No chat, just six friendly reactions. PLAIN CHESS COACH Become a member for everything else: • Unlimited games in every mode • A review of every game: where it turned, your best move and every mistake, explained in plain words • Unlimited Hint and Threats: a strong move, or what your opponent is after • 300 AI Coach answers a month: ask about your position, typed or out loud • Nearly 5,000 checkmate puzzles on a path through ten lands, and 85 opening lessons • My Games: every game you finish, synced with iCloud • Voices for the coach and your rivals, made on your iPhone Choose Yearly, with a 7-day free trial for eligible new members, or Monthly. Family covers up to six people through Family Sharing, with 50 AI Coach answers a month for each person. Prices vary by country; the app shows your price before you buy. Plain Chess Lifetime, $99 once, includes everything except AI Coach answers. AI Coach answer packs (25, 75 or 250 answers) are available to Lifetime owners, original buyers and members who use up their monthly answers. Already a member, or bought Plain Chess early? You keep everything you have, and your price stays the same while your membership is active. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. A membership renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Deleting the app doesn't cancel a membership. AI Coach needs an internet connection and can make mistakes. No ads, no account to create. Privacy: https://cerebraenterprises.com/plain-chess/privacy Terms: https://cerebraenterprises.com/plain-chess/terms Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess Offline4 screens
Plain Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Plain Chess at 100% against Chess Offline's 0%. Plain Chess also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.5) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Chess Offline's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume and ads 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. Plain Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Offline asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Plain Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Chess Offline's written reviews are positive against 100% of Plain Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Offline ships an update every 2 weeks, Plain Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Chess Offline versus Plain Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess OfflinePlain Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.5 (2 ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings25 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB115 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSandip PatelCerebra Enterprises, LLC

Customer experience

Chess Offline

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Plain Chess

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Chess Offline

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Plain Chess

One-time3
  • 10 AI Coach Credits$2.99
  • 30 AI Coach Credits$7.99
  • 100 AI Coach Credits$19.99

Questions

Is Chess Offline free?
Chess Offline is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Plain Chess free?
Plain Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess Offline or Plain Chess?
Plain Chess is rated higher. Chess Offline averages 1.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Plain Chess averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do Chess Offline or Plain Chess have ads?
Neither Chess Offline nor Plain Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Offline or Plain Chess?
Chess Offline ships an update every 2 weeks, and Plain Chess every 4 days. Most recently, Chess Offline was updated on October 28, 2026 and Plain Chess on October 25, 2026.

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