Comparison

PixelChess vs Chess Acuity

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

Head to head
About

PixelChess

Features
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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

About

Chess Acuity

Features
Read full description

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

PixelChess4 screens
Chess Acuity4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PixelChess sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Acuity asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PixelChess ships an update every 9 days, Chess Acuity every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 21, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 1 level
PixelChess versus Chess Acuity: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPixelChessChess Acuity
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB135 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJust Luck LLCSigfus Bjarnason

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PixelChess

One-time10
  • Tema Medieval$0.99
  • Tema Espacial$0.99
  • Tema Prehistórico$0.99
Show 7 more
  • 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
None

Chess Acuity

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PixelChess free?
PixelChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Acuity free?
Chess Acuity is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PixelChess or Chess Acuity have ads?
PixelChess shows ads; Chess Acuity does not.
Which is updated more often, PixelChess or Chess Acuity?
PixelChess ships an update every 9 days, and Chess Acuity every 4 days. Most recently, PixelChess was updated on October 21, 2026 and Chess Acuity on October 21, 2026.

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