Comparison

3D Chess Game vs Plain Chess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

3D Chess Game

Experience chess in a realistic 3D environment with customizable boards and sets. Challenge yourself with 25 difficulty levels, analyze games move-by-move, and track your progress with detailed statistics. Perfect for both beginners and experienced players.

Highlights
  • Realistic 3D graphics and animations
  • 25 adjustable AI difficulty levels
  • Customizable chess sets and boards
  • Game analysis and editing
  • Detailed player statistics
  • Tournament mode
  • Position editor
Features
Read full description

Play Chess against the computer, in 3D! It feels like playing on a real chessboard and supports human vs computer, computer vs computer, human vs human. - 25 different levels carefully tweaked to challenge you gradually while you progress - Or just pit different A.I. levels against each other and watch! - Realistic 3D models, animations and sound effects - Customizable chess set and chessboard colors (including metal effect!), with 12 presets - Examine any game back and forth, move by move! Edit, resume etc. - Timed and untimed modes with no-penalty undo/redo option - Track your progress from every angle with detailed statistics - Tournament mode with untimed matches against simulated opponents that are calibrated to your skills, are always available, move immediately and never cheat! - Ability to manually edit and play any position, including unusual ones like all knight pieces, multiple kings, no kings etc! - Option to hide valid moves markers, last move trail markers and thinking A.I. markers - Never played Chess before? Quick start tutorial included! - No in-app purchases, not a demo, no locked options!

About

Plain Chess

Enjoy offline chess matches on your iPhone without ads or accounts. Play against the computer, a friend, or use the AI Coach for strategic advice. Perfect for learning, practicing, or quick games.

Highlights
  • Offline chess play
  • Play against computer
  • Pass-and-play multiplayer
  • AI Coach explanations
  • Saved games
  • No ads or account required
Features
Read full description

Chess without the stress. Play a free game every day, learn from a coach that explains your games, and play the people you know. FREE EVERY DAY Play one new game a day in any mode: one of six rivals, a friend, Quick Match, or pass and play on one iPhone. Solve the daily puzzle, keep your streak going, and get a hint and a threat check in your game. After each game, see how many moments there are to learn from. SIX RIVALS WITH REAL PERSONALITIES From Pip, a beginner learning one move at a time, to Nova, an expert who loves to attack, each rival plays at their own level and talks like themselves. Choose how chatty they are: quiet, friendly or spicy. Every rival is an AI and always labeled as one. PLAY THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW Invite friends through Game Center for a daily game, with up to three days a move, or a live game with a clock. Quick Match finds a player near your level, or one of our AI rivals when nobody's around. No chat, just six friendly reactions. PLAIN CHESS COACH Become a member for everything else: • Unlimited games in every mode • A review of every game: where it turned, your best move and every mistake, explained in plain words • Unlimited Hint and Threats: a strong move, or what your opponent is after • 300 AI Coach answers a month: ask about your position, typed or out loud • Nearly 5,000 checkmate puzzles on a path through ten lands, and 85 opening lessons • My Games: every game you finish, synced with iCloud • Voices for the coach and your rivals, made on your iPhone Choose Yearly, with a 7-day free trial for eligible new members, or Monthly. Family covers up to six people through Family Sharing, with 50 AI Coach answers a month for each person. Prices vary by country; the app shows your price before you buy. Plain Chess Lifetime, $99 once, includes everything except AI Coach answers. AI Coach answer packs (25, 75 or 250 answers) are available to Lifetime owners, original buyers and members who use up their monthly answers. Already a member, or bought Plain Chess early? You keep everything you have, and your price stays the same while your membership is active. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. A membership renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Deleting the app doesn't cancel a membership. AI Coach needs an internet connection and can make mistakes. No ads, no account to create. Privacy: https://cerebraenterprises.com/plain-chess/privacy Terms: https://cerebraenterprises.com/plain-chess/terms Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

3D Chess Game4 screens
Plain Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 3D Chess Game at none against Plain Chess's 3. 3D Chess Game also leads on ratings volume (3.5K vs 5) and device support (3 vs 1). Plain Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On price and rating there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Plain Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. 3D Chess Game asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Plain Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 3D Chess Game has 3.5K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of 3D Chess Game's written reviews are positive against 100% of Plain Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

3D Chess Game ships an update every 3 weeks, Plain Chess every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
3D Chess Game versus Plain Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter3D Chess GamePlain Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (3.5K ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.5K — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB115 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperA Trillion Games LtdCerebra Enterprises, LLC

Customer experience

3D Chess Game

All ratings3,536 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral2.8%
Negative3.2%
Written reviews258 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral5.4%
Negative18.6%

Plain Chess

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

3D Chess Game

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • AI makes multiple moves in a single turn
  • Game incorrectly declares checkmate or draw
  • Crashes and resets after certain actions
  • Piece movement issues and inability to make valid moves

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add online multiplayer mode
  • Implement move history and game analysis
  • Allow pawn promotion to other pieces
  • Improve castling functionality
  • Add background music option

Plain Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

3D Chess Game

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Plain Chess

One-time3
  • 10 AI Coach Credits$2.99
  • 30 AI Coach Credits$7.99
  • 100 AI Coach Credits$19.99

Questions

Is 3D Chess Game free?
3D Chess Game is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Plain Chess free?
Plain Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 3D Chess Game or Plain Chess?
Plain Chess is rated higher. 3D Chess Game averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Plain Chess averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do 3D Chess Game or Plain Chess have ads?
3D Chess Game shows ads; Plain Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, 3D Chess Game or Plain Chess?
3D Chess Game ships an update every 3 weeks, and Plain Chess every 4 days. Most recently, 3D Chess Game was updated on October 22, 2026 and Plain Chess on October 25, 2026.

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