# Chess vs Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess at 92% against Chess's 41%. Chess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (118 vs 16). Chess's advantage is price (Free vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Chess is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 16, 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 41% of Chess'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 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews)** | [3.6 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-wise-3/id788594027/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | **92.0% of reviews** | 40.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 237 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [Marcel Nijman](https://appshunter.io/developer/337888122) |

## 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


### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-wise-3/id788594027)

Engage in chess with a comprehensive suite of tools for analysis, annotation, and online play. Explore game trees with side-lines, add detailed comments, and enjoy a stable FICS server connection. Features include a robust database, opening/endgame browsers, and training videos.

**Highlights:** Game tree representation with side-lines, Detailed game annotation, Stable FICS server communication, Enhanced FICS interface, Improved database and setup screen, Opening and endgame browser, Links to training videos

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock PRO | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess free?

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

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

Chess is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Chess averages 3.6 from 16 ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess have ads?

Neither Chess nor Chess shows ads.

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

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