# Chess vs ChessView

The clearest difference is price: ChessView at Free against Chess's $3.99. ChessView also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Chess's advantage is ratings volume (117 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

ChessView holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 117 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Chess ships an update fortnightly, ChessView every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | ChessView |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (117 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessview/id6748862638/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **117** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 237 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Pavel Gnatyuk](https://appshunter.io/developer/634353888) |

## 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


### ChessView

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessview/id6748862638)

Scan chess positions from photos, books, or screenshots and instantly play them out on a digital board. Analyze PGN files, import your online games, and explore classic matches. Offers optional AI commentary for deeper insights.

**Highlights:** Scan positions from photos/screenshots, Import PGN and FEN files, Replay and branch off game moves, Full move validation, Import Chess.com games, Built-in classic games, Optional AI commentary

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is ChessView free?

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

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

ChessView is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 117 ratings, while ChessView averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Chess or ChessView have ads?

Neither Chess nor ChessView shows ads.

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

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and ChessView every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 1, 2026 and ChessView on September 29, 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.*