# Chess vs Elementary Chess Tactics II

The clearest difference is price: Elementary Chess Tactics II at Free against Chess's $3.99. Elementary Chess Tactics II also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 92%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). Chess's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.8 for Elementary Chess Tactics II. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 118 and 49 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 100% of Elementary Chess Tactics II's.

Chess ships an update fortnightly, Elementary Chess Tactics II every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Elementary Chess Tactics II |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews) | **[4.8 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elementary-chess-tactics-ii/id1152972165/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 49 |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 237 MB | 42 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


### Elementary Chess Tactics II

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/elementary-chess-tactics-ii/id1152972165)

Master fundamental chess tactics with over 1800 exercises for beginners. This app provides interactive lessons, hints, and explanations to help you improve your tactical skills and consolidate your knowledge.

**Highlights:** 1800+ tactical exercises, Interactive lessons, Hints and explanations, ELo rating tracking, Offline play, Tablet optimized

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full course | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Elementary Chess Tactics II free?

Elementary Chess Tactics II is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Elementary Chess Tactics II?

Elementary Chess Tactics II is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Elementary Chess Tactics II averages 4.8 from 49 ratings.

### Do Chess or Elementary Chess Tactics II have ads?

Neither Chess nor Elementary Chess Tactics II shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Elementary Chess Tactics II?

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Elementary Chess Tactics II every 3 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 18, 2026 and Elementary Chess Tactics II on October 21, 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.*