# Chess vs Chess Prep Pro Openings

The clearest difference is price: Chess Prep Pro Openings at Free against Chess's $3.99. Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (92% vs 75%). On update cadence, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess Prep Pro Openings is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Chess Prep Pro Openings sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 22, 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 75% of Chess Prep Pro Openings's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess Prep Pro Openings |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** | [4.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prep-pro-openings/id1606629475/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#101** | — |
| Size | 237 MB | 214 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Tomasz Bogun](https://appshunter.io/developer/1502902123) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

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

**Currently charting:** #101 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


### Chess Prep Pro Openings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prep-pro-openings/id1606629475)

Master chess openings by building custom repertoires and training your memory. Analyze opponent moves, discover blind spots, and utilize an advanced engine for in-depth preparation. Expand your knowledge with downloadable repertoires and import/export PGNs.

**Highlights:** Custom chess opening repertoires, Repertoire training and memory sharpening, Blind spot finder against player games, Chess openings player database, Advanced StockFish engine analysis, Downloadable and importable repertoires

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly premium subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Prep Pro Openings free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Prep Pro Openings?

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Chess Prep Pro Openings averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess Prep Pro Openings have ads?

Chess Prep Pro Openings shows ads; Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Prep Pro Openings?

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Chess Prep Pro Openings fortnightly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 14, 2026 and Chess Prep Pro Openings on October 15, 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.*