Comparison

CherryChess vs Dragon River

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

Head to head
About

CherryChess

Features
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Cherry Chess is a beautifully simple chess app that helps you actually get better. Play against honestly calibrated bots or a friend, then let a full-strength Stockfish engine show you exactly where the game was won or lost – all on your device, no account, no internet required. EVERY MOVE RATED • Each move gets a verdict, from Brilliant and Best Move to Mistake and Blunder • See instantly what your move was worth – or switch it off and just play • Optional evaluation bar right next to the board OPPONENTS AT YOUR LEVEL • Bots from 300 to 2200 in steps of 100, each step measured against real playing strength • They play like humans at their level – including the mistakes – and they finish won games • Max: the engine at full strength, for when you want to see perfect chess • Rated games always put you against the bot at your own level PLAY YOUR WAY • Rated, free or against a friend on the same device, with an optional board flip • With or without a clock, from 1 to 60 minutes plus increment, with a low-time warning • Move list while you play and hints when you get stuck • Focus mode hides everything but the board SEE WHERE YOUR GAME TURNED • Full game review with the evaluation graph and the best move for every position • The move list highlights only the moves worth finding • Accuracy and a performance rating for every game • Free analysis board to explore any position with the engine A RATING THAT MEANS SOMETHING • Every rated game moves your rating, on the same scale as the bots • Track your rating curve, accuracy, streaks and activity in your profile • Your complete game history, ready to replay and review LEARN WITH A PLAN • A learning path of 42 lessons in six units: board and pieces, check and mate, material, tactics, endgames and openings • Free practice whenever you like: board coordinates, checkmate puzzles and an opening trainer with 22 opening families MADE WITH CARE • Clean, distinctive design in dark and light themes • Two piece sets: the custom-made Cherry pieces and a timeless classic set • Smooth animations, haptic feedback and VoiceOver support • Available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Japanese and Chinese PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no sign-up, no tracking. Your games and progress stay on your device, and the engine runs completely offline. Whether you're learning how the knight moves or chasing your next rating milestone, Cherry Chess meets you at your level – and helps you go further.

About

Dragon River

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Cross the river. Guard the general. Claim the Jade Mandate. Dragon River turns traditional Xiangqi into a cinematic 3D battlefield while preserving the rules and tactical clarity of Chinese chess. • Play offline against three AI difficulty levels • Face a friend in local two-player mode • Choose tactical, cinematic, orbit, or top-down cameras • Use legal-move guidance, move history, undo, and saved matches • Choose from 15 languages • Tune graphics quality for your device No account and no cross-app tracking. The free version shows limited non-personalized ads; rewarded videos during a match are optional and start only when you tap them. One optional purchase removes every ad permanently. Your settings and saved matches stay on your device.

Screenshots

CherryChess4 screens
Dragon River3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CherryChess at none against Dragon River's 1. CherryChess also leads on ads (none vs shown). Dragon River's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Dragon River sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CherryChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CherryChess ships an update every 5 days, Dragon River every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
CherryChess versus Dragon River: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCherryChessDragon River
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB37 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMilan SwillusHaosheng Li

In-app purchases

None

CherryChess

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dragon River

One-time1
  • Permanent Ad Removal$4.99

Questions

Is CherryChess free?
CherryChess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dragon River free?
Dragon River is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CherryChess or Dragon River have ads?
Dragon River shows ads; CherryChess does not.
Which is updated more often, CherryChess or Dragon River?
CherryChess ships an update every 5 days, and Dragon River every 10 days. Most recently, CherryChess was updated on November 5, 2026 and Dragon River on November 6, 2026.

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