# Shogi Lite vs ™ Chess

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shogi Lite at none against ™ Chess's 1. Shogi Lite also leads on review sentiment (55% vs 37%) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). ™ Chess's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 12). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ™ Chess sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Shogi Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Shogi Lite against 4.5 for ™ Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ™ Chess has 10K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 55% of Shogi Lite's written reviews are positive against 37% of ™ Chess's.

Shogi Lite ships an update every 6 weeks, ™ Chess every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shogi Lite | ™ Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-lite-chess/id737135884/reviews)** | [4.5 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id1115318362/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **55.4% of reviews** | 37.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shigeo Mimura](https://appshunter.io/developer/704921892) | [VM Mobile Team](https://appshunter.io/developer/646128457) |

## What reviewers say

### Shogi Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shogi-lite-chess/id737135884)

A digital adaptation of the ancient Japanese board game, offering a strategic challenge similar to chess. Players can capture opponent pieces and redeploy them on the board, adding a unique tactical layer to gameplay.

**Highlights:** Classic Shogi gameplay, Piece capture and redeployment, Two-player strategy, Similar to Chess and Xiangqi, Digital board game adaptation

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ™ Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id1115318362)

Engage in the timeless strategy of chess on your mobile device. Play against sophisticated AI opponents across multiple difficulty levels, or challenge friends and family. Features include an undo option, board editor, and customizable themes for a personalized experience.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Undo feature, Board editor, Customizable themes, Game save/load, Timed games

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging gameplay
- 🚀 Quick response times
- 💡 Variety of difficulty levels
- 🤩 Enjoyable for chess lovers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent difficulty levels
- 🤬 Overpowered AI on easy mode
- 💰 Too many ads
- 🤯 Frustrating for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Illegal moves allowed by AI
- Incorrect draw detection
- Castling not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Add more difficulty settings
- Allow under-promotion
- Improve AI difficulty scaling
- Reduce ads or offer paid version


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shogi Lite free?

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

### Is ™ Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shogi Lite or ™ Chess?

Shogi Lite is rated higher. Shogi Lite averages 4.6 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while ™ Chess averages 4.5 from 10K ratings.

### Do Shogi Lite or ™ Chess have ads?

Neither Shogi Lite nor ™ Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shogi Lite or ™ Chess?

Shogi Lite ships an update every 6 weeks, and ™ Chess every 4 months. Most recently, Shogi Lite was updated on September 22, 2026 and ™ Chess on September 25, 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.*