PixelChess vs Chess Acuity
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PixelChess
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Rediscover Chess. Play beautiful offline chess against the computer in a handcrafted pixel art adventure. PixelChess brings the timeless strategy of chess into vibrant pixel themes, where every game feels fresh. Solve a new puzzle every day, unlock collectible pieces, and explore unique themes inspired by fantasy, history and imagination. Whether you're learning the game or mastering advanced strategies, PixelChess offers a relaxing, premium chess experience with stunning visuals and rewarding progression. Play Chess Your Way • Play offline against the computer • 4 difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert • Unlimited, Blitz, Rapid and Classical time controls • Smooth gameplay designed for beginners and experienced players • Review your recent games A New Chess Challenge Every Day Train your tactical skills with a fresh daily puzzle. • Daily chess puzzles • Helpful hints • Build your daily streak • Improve your chess vision Explore 9 Beautiful Pixel Themes Every theme completely transforms the game. Discover unique: • Chess pieces • Boards • Animated backgrounds • Original music Explore: • Classic • Medieval • Space • Prehistoric • Horror • Sports • Western • Elegant • Anime Unlock and Collect Win games to unlock new themes through achievements or purchase them instantly. Discover more than 100 collectible chess pieces, each with its own artwork and story. Designed Around You • Sign in with Google, Apple or Email • Game history • Multiple languages • Beautiful pixel art interface • Free to play Download PixelChess today. Privacy Policy https://justluck.io/apps/pixelchess/privacy.html Support admin@justluck.io
Chess Acuity
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Chess Acuity turns any chess position into insight — entirely on your device. Set up a position and Stockfish 17, running locally on your iPhone, shows you the best moves and lines. No account, no ads, no analytics, no internet connection required. The app is free and open source. FOUR WAYS IN • From a photo — share a screenshot from any chess app or website, or pick one from your photo library. A built-in recognizer reads the board on-device and sets up the position. • From a game — paste a PGN, step through the moves, and analyse any position along the way. • By hand — set up the board in a clean, fast editor. • By FEN — paste a position directly. ANALYSIS • Powered by the Stockfish 17 chess engine, running natively on your device. • Multiple lines (MultiPV) with evaluations, searched by depth or thinking time. • Step through any line move by move on the board. • Plain-language explanation of the engine's choice. PLAY • Play a full game against Stockfish at eight strength levels. • Take a hint when you're stuck, then hand the finished game straight to the analyser. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything — board recognition, engine analysis, move explanations — runs on your device. The app makes no network requests and collects no data. Screenshots you import are processed locally and never uploaded. OPEN SOURCE Chess Acuity is free software under the GNU GPLv3. The complete source code is available at github.com/alexostar/chess-acuity-app. FAIR PLAY Chess Acuity is made for study and review. Please don't use it for assistance during live or rated games — that breaks the fair-play rules of every chess site and spoils the game for everyone.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Acuity at none against PixelChess's 10. Chess Acuity also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 9 days). PixelChess's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price 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
Both are free to download. PixelChess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Acuity asks for nothing beyond the download.
PixelChess ships an update every 9 days, Chess Acuity every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.
| Parameter | PixelChess | Chess Acuity |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 135 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Just Luck LLC | Sigfus Bjarnason |
In-app purchases
PixelChess
- Tema Medieval$0.99
- Tema Espacial$0.99
- Tema Prehistórico$0.99
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- Tema Terror$0.99
- Tema Deportes$0.99
- Tema Western$0.99
- Tema Elegante$0.99
- Tema Anime$0.99
- Pack 2 Temas$1.49
- Pack 3 Temas$1.99
Chess Acuity
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is PixelChess free?
Is Chess Acuity free?
Do PixelChess or Chess Acuity have ads?
Which is updated more often, PixelChess or Chess Acuity?
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