# Chess Light vs Pocket Chess

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Light at none against Pocket Chess's shown. Chess Light also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 61%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Pocket Chess's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (15K vs 6). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Light sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Chess sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. 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 4.6 for Pocket Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Chess has 15K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Chess Light's written reviews are positive against 61% of Pocket Chess's.

Chess Light ships an update every 18 months, Pocket Chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Light | Pocket Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-light/id801115018/reviews)** | [4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 61.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pyrosphere, Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/386458929) | [Lessmore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579865033) |

## 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 |


### Pocket Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076)

Enhance your chess skills with hundreds of challenging chess problems and puzzles. This app focuses on simplified boards to help you quickly recognize chess patterns and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of chess problems, Checkmate in 2 and 4 puzzles, Simplified boards for pattern recognition, Improve chess game, Learn chess patterns faster

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Event Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Bundle | $11.99 | one-time |
| Super Coin Bundle | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved chess skills
- 👍 Challenging yet fun puzzles
- 🤩 Addictive and engaging
- 🧠 Helps develop tactical thinking
- 📈 Tracks progress and skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Some puzzles have issues
- 🤔 Opponent moves don't always make sense

**Reported bugs**

- Progress data loss
- Incorrect checkmate solutions
- Game freezing after certain moves

**Requested features**

- Ability to review past puzzles
- More advanced puzzles and levels
- Option to disable audio/music
- Sync progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Light free?

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

### Is Pocket Chess free?

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

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

Chess Light is rated higher. Chess Light averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Pocket Chess averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.

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

Pocket Chess shows ads; Chess Light does not.

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

Chess Light ships an update every 18 months, and Pocket Chess every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Light was updated on October 12, 2026 and Pocket Chess on October 20, 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.*