# Gambit vs Chess Variants Studio

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gambit at none against Chess Variants Studio's 1. Chess Variants Studio's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) 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. Gambit asks for nothing beyond the download.

Gambit ships an update every 2 months, Chess Variants Studio every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Gambit | Chess Variants Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gambit-chess/id6781403756/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 7 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joseph Malone](https://appshunter.io/developer/1814635272) | [Michael Adams](https://appshunter.io/developer/743520896) |

## What reviewers say

### Gambit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gambit-chess/id6781403756)

Explore classic chess and five unique variants on a single board. Play against AI with adjustable difficulty, with friends offline, or online against others. Features include post-game analysis and a library of famous games.

**Highlights:** Classic Chess, Five Chess Variants, Computer AI Play, Pass-and-Play Mode, Online Multiplayer, Post-Game Analysis, Famous Game Library

**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 Gambit free?

Gambit 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 Gambit or Chess Variants Studio have ads?

Neither Gambit nor Chess Variants Studio shows ads.

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

Gambit ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Variants Studio every 9 days. Most recently, Gambit was updated on September 19, 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.*