Comparison

Plain Chess vs Cabin Chess

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

Head to head
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/

About

Cabin Chess

Features
Read full description

Cabin Chess is a friendly, offline chess app made for children and families. No account. No ads. No data collection. Just chess. FEATURES - Chess School: learn the game step by step, from moving pieces to winning your first game. - 3-star diploma: earn stars for progress and celebrate small victories. - Play offline: no internet needed after install. - 16 languages: English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Swedish, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. - Adjustable difficulty: from beginner-friendly tutors to a stronger opponent as your skills grow. - Safe by design: no chat, no messaging, no way to interact with strangers. BUILT FOR FAMILIES Cabin Chess is designed to be a calm, distraction-free place to learn chess. No pop-ups, no in-app purchases, no notifications, no accounts. Once installed, the app works completely offline — perfect for tablets used by kids, quiet car rides, or a screen-free-ish afternoon on the couch. PRIVACY We collect no personal data. Everything — your progress, your profile, your settings — stays only on your device. See our privacy policy for details. Have questions or feedback? Write to us: cabinchess@gmail.com

Screenshots

Plain Chess4 screens
Cabin Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cabin Chess at none against Plain Chess's 3. Cabin Chess also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 days) and device support (3 vs 1). On price 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. Cabin Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Plain Chess ships an update every 4 days, Cabin Chess daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Plain Chess versus Cabin Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain ChessCabin Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size115 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCerebra Enterprises, LLCFaruk Dinc

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
None

Cabin Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Plain Chess free?
Plain Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cabin Chess free?
Cabin Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Plain Chess or Cabin Chess have ads?
Neither Plain Chess nor Cabin Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plain Chess or Cabin Chess?
Plain Chess ships an update every 4 days, and Cabin Chess daily. Most recently, Plain Chess was updated on October 25, 2026 and Cabin Chess on October 13, 2026.

Other comparisons