Comparison

Kishmat vs Zenmate

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

Head to head
About

Kishmat

Features
Read full description

Kishmat is a chess app for playing on the same iPhone or iPad. Play against another person locally, or switch to Solo mode and play against the built-in computer opponent. The Solo engine searches legal chess moves on the device and shows a live visual of the search while it thinks. You can choose Eco, Mid, or Max power depending on how much time you want the engine to spend per move. No accounts, no tracking, no ads, and no in-app purchases. Features: - Local two-player chess - Single-player Solo mode - Adjustable engine power - Live search visualization - Legal move highlighting - Undo, reset, and board flip - Check, checkmate, and stalemate detection - Castling, en passant, and pawn promotion

About

Zenmate

Features
Read full description

Zenmate is a calm, beautifully designed chess app built for focused play. Play a quiet game against the AI, start a match with friends through Game Center, or pass-and-play on one device. Zenmate keeps the interface simple and refined so the board stays central and every move has room to breathe. Features: - Play vs AI with multiple difficulty levels - Play with friends using Game Center - Local 2-player pass-and-play - Light and dark mode - Optional board coordinates - Flip board support - Clean timers and move-focused gameplay A quiet game of kings. Designed to slow you down, one move at a time.

Screenshots

Kishmat1 screens
Zenmate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Kishmat at every 4 days against Zenmate's every 6 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Kishmat ships an update every 4 days, Zenmate every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 14, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Kishmat versus Zenmate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKishmatZenmate
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArash ParniaTimothy Nice

In-app purchases

None

Kishmat

No in-app purchases

None

Zenmate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kishmat free?
Kishmat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zenmate free?
Zenmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kishmat or Zenmate have ads?
Neither Kishmat nor Zenmate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kishmat or Zenmate?
Kishmat ships an update every 4 days, and Zenmate every 6 weeks. Most recently, Kishmat was updated on August 14, 2026 and Zenmate on September 13, 2026.

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