# Zenmate vs Chess Variants Studio

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Zenmate at none against Chess Variants Studio's 1. Chess Variants Studio's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Variants Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Zenmate asks for nothing beyond the download.

Zenmate ships an update every 6 weeks, Chess Variants Studio every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Zenmate | Chess Variants Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Size | 4 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timothy Nice](https://appshunter.io/developer/1717668220) | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) |

## What reviewers say

### Zenmate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zenmate-mindful-chess/id6776354031)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chess Variants Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-variants-studio/id6789392443)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Plays and Views | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Zenmate free?

Zenmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Variants Studio free?

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

### Do Zenmate or Chess Variants Studio have ads?

Neither Zenmate nor Chess Variants Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Zenmate or Chess Variants Studio?

Zenmate ships an update every 6 weeks, and Chess Variants Studio every 9 days. Most recently, Zenmate was updated on September 13, 2026 and Chess Variants Studio on September 9, 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.*