# Chess vs Openings Mastermind

The clearest difference is price: Openings Mastermind at Free against Chess's $3.99. Openings Mastermind also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2). Chess's advantage is review sentiment (92% vs 50%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 117 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 50% of Openings Mastermind's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Openings Mastermind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **117** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#103** | — |
| Size | 237 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Christian Heise](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632898424) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

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

**Currently charting:** #103 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


### Openings Mastermind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251)

Master chess openings with this app. Import studies, explore with advanced engines, and practice specific lines through repetition. Track your progress and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Import Lichess Studies or PGNs, Explore openings with Stockfish 15, Practice openings by repetition, Smart practice queue, Track learning progress

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Openings Mastermind free?

Openings Mastermind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while Openings Mastermind averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Chess or Openings Mastermind have ads?

Neither Chess nor Openings Mastermind shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Openings Mastermind fortnightly. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 1, 2026 and Openings Mastermind 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.*