# Chess vs Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 92% against Chess's 46%. Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown). Chess's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and ratings volume (6.5K vs 116). On update cadence, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Chess sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 6.5K ratings behind it against 116, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 92% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 46% of Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess ships an update fortnightly, Chess every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews) | **[4.9 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-chess-online/id1547549647/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 116 | **6.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 45.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 237 MB | 282 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Wuhan Dobest Information Technology Co, Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/917530329) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-chess-online/id1547549647)

Play chess against AI or other players online. Features adjustable difficulty, hints, and multiple game modes. Save your progress and develop your strategy to become a chess master.

**Highlights:** Selectable board skins, Adjustable game difficulty, Hint function, Endgame mode, AI mode, Two-player mode, Save game progress

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Per Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| VIP Per Month | $1.99 | per month |
| VIP Per Month | $15.99 | per year |
| Hint*30 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads B | $0.99 | one-time |
| Badge*120 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Analysis*15 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hint*65 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Badge250 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Chess Online-Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Analysis*75 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Badge*500 | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent online play
- 🎮 Good computer play
- 🎉 Very fun game
- 🤩 Amazing and super good

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and glitchy online play
- 💤 Freezes and crashes mid-game
- 🔍 False advertising (not 3D as shown)
- 🕰️ Stalemate issues with AI
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with data collection

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces making impossible moves
- Touch screen becoming unresponsive
- Game declaring draws on clear checkmates
- Disconnections and network issues

**Requested features**

- Add online multiplayer with friends
- Option to disable stalemate rule
- Improve AI's understanding of checkmate


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess free?

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

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

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 116 ratings, while Chess averages 4.9 from 6.5K ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess have ads?

Chess shows ads; Chess does not.

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

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Chess every 4 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 22, 2026 and Chess on September 22, 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.*