# Chess vs Pocket Chess Book

The clearest difference is rating: Chess at 4.7 against Pocket Chess Book's 3.8. Chess also leads on review sentiment (92% vs 50%) and price ($3.99 vs $7.99). Pocket Chess Book's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess costs $3.99 and Pocket Chess Book $7.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Pocket Chess Book asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 50% of Pocket Chess Book's.

Chess ships an update every 2 weeks, Pocket Chess Book weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Pocket Chess Book |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$3.99** | $7.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** | [3.8 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess-book/id1578743658/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 15 |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 237 MB | 77 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) | [Maksym Butsykin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1578743660) |

## 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


### Pocket Chess Book

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess-book/id1578743658)

A fast, offline chess PGN editor and analysis tool. Practice lines with a computer, analyze games with Stockfish, and manage unlimited game collections. Features include a board editor and access to Lichess openings.

**Highlights:** Offline PGN editing, Computer practice mode, Stockfish NNUE analysis, Board editor, Unlimited game collections, Lichess openings explorer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Pocket Chess Book free?

Pocket Chess Book costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Pocket Chess Book averages 3.8 from 15 ratings.

### Do Chess or Pocket Chess Book have ads?

Neither Chess nor Pocket Chess Book shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pocket Chess Book weekly. Most recently, Chess was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pocket Chess Book on October 30, 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.*