# Chess vs Chess Middlegame IV

The clearest difference is price: Chess Middlegame IV at Free against Chess's $3.99. Chess Middlegame IV also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (118 vs 10). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess Middlegame IV is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Chess Middlegame IV sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess Middlegame IV holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Chess ships an update every 2 weeks, Chess Middlegame IV every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess Middlegame IV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-middlegame-iv/id1130247901/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 237 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545)

Manage and study chess databases and games in PGN format with advanced analysis tools. Supports game creation, modification, and import from various sources. Includes engine analysis, opening book management, and puzzle training.

**Highlights:** PGN database and game management, Create, modify, and import games, Advanced engine analysis with Stockfish, Opening book and ChessBase support, Chess 960 (Fischer Random) support, Diagram recognition for PGN conversion, Puzzle training and online play

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $8.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Powerful chess database features
- 👍 Comprehensive analysis tools
- 👍 Excellent PGN management
- 👍 Great value for price
- 👍 Frequent updates and improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Some users find it confusing
- 🐛 Missing dark mode

**Reported bugs**

- Problem saving updated game data
- Engine stopped working after 30 seconds
- App crashes when adding annotations without hitting 'edit mode' first
- Crash opening .pgn in landscape mode
- Crashes when selecting a cell with 0 games associated

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Add board flip button
- Improve interface for screen reader users
- Add private game feature with code
- Add computer whole game analysis with annotations


### Chess Middlegame IV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-middlegame-iv/id1130247901)

This app offers a comprehensive chess middlegame training course designed by a Grandmaster. It provides interactive lessons, practice exercises with hints and refutations, and theoretical explanations to improve your strategic understanding and tactical skills. The course covers various openings and allows you to play against the computer.

**Highlights:** Grandmaster-designed middlegame course, Interactive theoretical lessons, Practice exercises with hints and refutations, Covers various openings, Play against the computer, Monitors ELO rating changes, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full course | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Chess Middlegame IV free?

Chess Middlegame IV is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Middlegame IV?

Chess Middlegame IV is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Chess Middlegame IV averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess Middlegame IV have ads?

Neither Chess nor Chess Middlegame IV shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Middlegame IV?

Chess ships an update every 2 weeks, and Chess Middlegame IV every 4 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess Middlegame IV on November 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*