# Chess Light vs ChessUp

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChessUp at none against Chess Light's 1. ChessUp also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 18 months) and ratings volume (2.6K vs 6). Chess Light's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess Light against 4.8 for ChessUp. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChessUp has 2.6K 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 55% of ChessUp's.

Chess Light ships an update every 18 months, ChessUp every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 27, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Light | ChessUp |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-light/id801115018/reviews) | **[4.8 (2.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessup/id1588782312/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **2.6K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 54.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 18 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 218 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pyrosphere, Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/386458929) | [Bryght Labs Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588782314) |

## 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 |


### ChessUp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessup/id1588782312)

This app enhances your chess experience with a smart chessboard. It offers game archives, analysis, and live AI assistance. Connect to play remote opponents on various platforms.

**Highlights:** Chess game archives, Game analysis, Live AI assistance, Remote opponent play, BLE connectivity

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app and board
- 👍 Fantastic board to learn and improve game
- 🚀 Awesome chess experience
- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Incredible learning tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lots of bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Crashes and connectivity issues
- 🐛 Misleading marketing and unfinished product
- 🐛 Haptics issues and unresponsive interface
- 🐛 AI difficulty imbalanced

**Reported bugs**

- Moves not registering
- Bluetooth connectivity issues
- Crashes and freezes
- Sync issues between app and board
- Lessons not working properly

**Requested features**

- Add chess openings lessons
- Implement position setup and export/import
- Add post-game review mechanism
- Improve AI difficulty scaling
- Add chess puzzles


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Light free?

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

### Is ChessUp free?

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

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

ChessUp is rated higher. Chess Light averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while ChessUp averages 4.8 from 2.6K ratings.

### Do Chess Light or ChessUp have ads?

Neither Chess Light nor ChessUp shows ads.

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

Chess Light ships an update every 18 months, and ChessUp every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess Light was updated on August 27, 2026 and ChessUp on September 26, 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.*