# Chess vs DGT Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 92% against DGT Chess's 22%. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (118 vs 6). DGT Chess's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 6, 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 22% of DGT Chess's.

Chess ships an update fortnightly, DGT Chess monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | DGT Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** | [3.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dgt-chess/id1599508632/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#89** | — |
| Size | 237 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Digital Game Technology B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599508634) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

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

**Currently charting:** #89 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

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


### DGT Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dgt-chess/id1599508632)

Connect your physical chess board to an online platform to play against real opponents worldwide.  Enjoy a focused game experience with moves displayed on your board via LED rings. Save and share your games.

**Highlights:** Connect physical board to Lichess, Play against 100,000+ real opponents, Moves displayed via LED rings on board, Play against Lichess AI, Save and share games, Offline 2-player mode

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is DGT Chess free?

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

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

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while DGT Chess averages 3.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Chess or DGT Chess have ads?

Neither Chess nor DGT Chess shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and DGT Chess monthly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 14, 2026 and DGT Chess on October 7, 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.*