# Chess vs Fide Chess Elo

The clearest difference is price: Fide Chess Elo at Free against Chess's $3.99. Fide Chess Elo also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Chess's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Fide Chess Elo is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Fide Chess Elo asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess ships an update fortnightly, Fide Chess Elo every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Fide Chess Elo |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **116** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 237 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Gabriel Minarik](https://appshunter.io/developer/1285247039) |

## 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


### Fide Chess Elo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fide-chess-elo/id1285247040)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Fide Chess Elo free?

Fide Chess Elo is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Chess or Fide Chess Elo have ads?

Neither Chess nor Fide Chess Elo shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Fide Chess Elo?

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Fide Chess Elo every 3 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 22, 2026 and Fide Chess Elo on September 19, 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.*