# Pocket Chess vs Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) at 90% against Pocket Chess's 24%. Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (3.7K vs 22). Pocket Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) has 3.7K ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of Pocket Chess's written reviews are positive against 90% of Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)'s.

Pocket Chess ships an update every 10 months, Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pocket Chess | Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id699609579/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-pro-puzzles/id903380719/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 22 | **3.7K** |
| Positive reviews | 24.5% of reviews | **90.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 10 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Steven Barnegren](https://appshunter.io/developer/632311869) | [Emmanuel Mathis](https://appshunter.io/developer/892041879) |

## What reviewers say

### Pocket Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id699609579)

Engage in classic chess battles anywhere, anytime. Challenge a sophisticated AI with adjustable difficulty or play against a friend. The app offers helpful features like move highlighting and board rotation for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Challenging AI engine, Three difficulty levels, Play as White or Black, Show legal moves, Special move support, Board rotation, Save game state

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Clean aesthetics
- 👍 Simple and good
- 🎮 Realistic graphics
- 😊 Great game

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Computer cheats
- 👎 Bots are atrocious
- 👎 Too hard
- 👎 Too easy
- 👎 Little to do

**Reported bugs**

- Computer makes wrong moves
- Computer cheats by moving pieces
- Board flips for no reason
- Hard mode is too easy
- Option to castle is hard to find

**Requested features**

- Make medium difficulty easier
- Add undo button
- Add submit button
- Option to fix board orientation in 2 player mode
- More variety in AI moves


### Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tactics-pro-puzzles/id903380719)

Sharpen your chess skills with a vast library of puzzles for all levels. Practice daily, offline, or track your progress with adaptive challenges. Analyze your moves with a built-in engine and customize your experience with various themes.

**Highlights:** Daily puzzles, Offline puzzle packs, Progress mode with Elo rating, Puzzle analysis engine, Bookmark puzzles, Multiple board themes

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

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Easy mates | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate mates | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard mates | $1.99 | one-time |
| Easy tactics | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate tactics | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard tactics | $1.99 | one-time |
| Mates in 2, 3 and 4 moves | $1.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate Tactics - Vol. 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Hard Tactics - Vol. 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Easy Tactics - Vol. 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| All-Access Pass | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🚀 Offline functionality
- 💡 Wide variety of puzzles
- 🎯 Helpful for improving tactics
- 🕰️ Daily puzzles of varying difficulty

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some puzzles have flawed or ambiguous solutions
- 🤔 Difficulty levels not always accurate
- 📊 Lack of explanation for best moves
- 🔀 Inability to accept alternative winning solutions

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional crashes or freezes
- Incorrect move validation in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add option to see captured pieces
- Provide more context and analysis for puzzles
- Improve difficulty categorization of puzzles
- Allow for user feedback on puzzle issues


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pocket Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) free?

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pocket Chess or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) is rated higher. Pocket Chess averages 2.5 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) averages 4.7 from 3.7K ratings.

### Do Pocket Chess or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) have ads?

Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) shows ads; Pocket Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pocket Chess or Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles)?

Pocket Chess ships an update every 10 months, and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) every 2 months. Most recently, Pocket Chess was updated on October 26, 2026 and Chess Tactics Pro (Puzzles) on October 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.*