# ChessMate vs ChessLab

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChessLab at none against ChessMate's 6. ChessMate's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ChessMate sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ChessLab asks for nothing beyond the download.

ChessMate ships an update every 2 weeks, ChessLab weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChessMate | ChessLab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Size | 11 MB | 175 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wolf Technologies Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893245521) | [Thierry Maeder](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896297738) |

## What reviewers say

### ChessMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessmate-master-chess/id6762457428)

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gold Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Platinum Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Diamond Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Gold Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Platinum Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Diamond Yearly | $99.99 | per year |


### ChessLab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesslab/id6793097336)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChessMate free?

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

### Is ChessLab free?

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

### Do ChessMate or ChessLab have ads?

Neither ChessMate nor ChessLab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChessMate or ChessLab?

ChessMate ships an update every 2 weeks, and ChessLab weekly. Most recently, ChessMate was updated on October 31, 2026 and ChessLab on November 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*