# Chessferatu vs ZenAIya Chess

The clearest difference is update cadence: ZenAIya Chess at every 5 days against Chessferatu's every 2 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chessferatu sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and ZenAIya Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Chessferatu against 5.0 for ZenAIya Chess. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 4 respectively.

Chessferatu ships an update every 2 weeks, ZenAIya Chess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chessferatu | ZenAIya Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessferatu/id6767737492/reviews) | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenaiya-chess/id6780092369/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 354 MB | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Half-Cocked Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896504941) | [SHAMIK NARENDRA DESAI](https://appshunter.io/developer/6774597454) |

## What reviewers say

### Chessferatu

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessferatu/id6767737492)

Learn and practice chess openings through a gamified experience with eerie rivals and high-stakes decisions. Study, battle, and improve with focused play modes, detailed move analysis, and lifetime stats. Features a distinctive horror-inspired presentation for a unique training approach.

**Highlights:** Gamified chess learning, Offline capability, Study opening lines, Battle mode for openings, Detailed move analysis, Lifetime stats tracking, Horror-inspired presentation

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Opponents | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Magic Keyring | $9.99 | one-time |


### ZenAIya Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenaiya-chess/id6780092369)

Master chess with an AI coach that provides real-time tactical advice and in-depth post-game analysis. Learn from your mistakes with interactive replays and explore alternative strategies. Play at five difficulty levels, from beginner to master.

**Highlights:** Real-time AI coaching, Post-game analysis, Interactive replay with feedback, Five difficulty levels, Strategy assessments (Pro), Competitive clock modes (Pro)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ZenAIya Chess Pro | $1.99 | per month |
| ZenAIya Chess Pro | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chessferatu free?

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

### Is ZenAIya Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chessferatu or ZenAIya Chess?

Chessferatu and ZenAIya Chess are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 4 ratings respectively.

### Do Chessferatu or ZenAIya Chess have ads?

Both Chessferatu and ZenAIya Chess show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chessferatu or ZenAIya Chess?

Chessferatu ships an update every 2 weeks, and ZenAIya Chess every 5 days. Most recently, Chessferatu was updated on October 31, 2026 and ZenAIya Chess on November 10, 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.*