# Chess Light vs Chess King

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Light at none against Chess King's shown. Chess King's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (2.5K vs 6). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Light sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chess King sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess Light against 4.8 for Chess King. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess King has 2.5K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 78% positive.

Chess Light ships an update every 18 months, Chess King every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Light | Chess King |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-light/id801115018/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **2.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 78.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pyrosphere, Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/386458929) | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Light

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-light/id801115018)

A puzzle game inspired by chess, suitable for all skill levels. Solve over 180 unique puzzles by strategically placing pieces to illuminate every square on the board. Features adjustable difficulty and a helpful hint system.

**Highlights:** 180+ puzzles, 6 difficulty levels, Hint system, Place pieces to light up squares, Suitable for all skill levels

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 Hints | $0.99 | one-time |


### Chess King

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239)

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

**Highlights:** 100+ learning courses, Interactive theoretical lessons, High-quality, double-checked puzzles, Personal chess trainer, Computer analysis, Offline support, Chess tasks for kids

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT-ART: The Best Tactics | $5.99 | per month |
| Chess King University | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $17.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $89.99 | per year |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $119.99 | per year |
| Chess: From Beginner to Club | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Tactics for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Blunders | $12.99 | one-time |
| CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics) | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Best game in the world
- 👍 Helpful for practice
- 💡 Excellent tutorial and training content
- 🎨 Well-chosen puzzles
- 🧠 Improves pattern recognition and tactics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive
- 🐛 Crashes on iPhone and iPad
- 🐛 Buggy after recent update
- 🤔 Confusing interface and lack of instructions
- 🤔 Difficult for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on M1 Macs
- Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
- Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
- Cannot restore purchases
- Doesnot sync progress across devices

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve user interface and design
- Add more opening courses
- Provide better explanations for moves
- Allow resetting progress


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Light free?

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

### Is Chess King free?

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

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

Chess King is rated higher. Chess Light averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Chess King averages 4.8 from 2.5K ratings.

### Do Chess Light or Chess King have ads?

Chess King shows ads; Chess Light does not.

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

Chess Light ships an update every 18 months, and Chess King every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess Light was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess King on November 4, 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.*