# Chess ◧ vs Chess Royale

The clearest difference is ads: Chess ◧ at none against Chess Royale's shown. Chess ◧ also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Chess Royale's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (20K vs 410). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess ◧ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess Royale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 410, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Chess ◧'s written reviews are positive against 60% of Chess Royale's.

Chess ◧ ships an update every 12 months, Chess Royale every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ◧ | Chess Royale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (410 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id902406863/reviews) | **[4.5 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 410 | **20K** |
| Positive reviews | 52.9% of reviews | **59.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 64 MB | 473 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TapMedia Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/359632753) | [SayGames LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1551847165) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess ◧

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id902406863)

Engage in classic chess matches on your iPhone or iPad. Play against a computer with adjustable difficulty, challenge a friend in two-player mode, or utilize helpful features like move undo and hints. Enjoy an attractive user interface for a smooth gaming experience.

**Highlights:** Play against computer, Two player mode, Adjustable computer strength, Undo moves, Hint option, Attractive UI

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TapMedia PRO - 1 Month | $4.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to play
- 👍 Highly entertaining
- 👍 Strong and flexible chess engine
- 👍 Gameplay is human-like
- 👍 Great for avoiding opening traps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Two player mode broken
- 🐛 Program is impenetrable for beginners
- 🐛 Hints lead to losing
- 🐛 Board color changed to brown
- 🐛 Too many ads

**Reported bugs**

- Two player mode doesn't work
- Choosing '2 Player' does nothing
- Many glitches
- Cannot move a piece and make a change with king and tower
- Slaughters battery life

**Requested features**

- Fix two player mode
- Option to change board color back to black and white
- Make the game easier for beginners
- Allow viewing opponent's pawns


### Chess Royale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-royale/id1434658250)

Engage in the classic game of chess with millions worldwide. This app offers AI challenges, multiplayer matches, and extensive training tools including puzzles and post-game analysis to improve your strategic skills.

**Highlights:** Play against AI, Multiplayer matches, Chess puzzles, Post-game analysis, Beginner and advanced training, Multiple game modes

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Vip | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Vip | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Vip | $39.99 | per year |
| Tiny Coins Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tiny Gems Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Gold Reserve 2 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Coins Pack Offer | $3.99 | one-time |
| Disable Ads Forever | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Gems Pack | $6.99 | one-time |
| Large Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Enjoyable gameplay
- 🚀 Seamless matchmaking
- 💡 Helpful chess lessons and puzzles
- 🤩 Great for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤬 Excessive and disruptive advertisements
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes
- 🕰️ Long wait times between games due to ads
- 🤖 Suspicion of playing against bots instead of real players

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect puzzle solutions being marked as wrong
- Game losses due to connection issues or app freezes
- Inconsistent trophy/ranking system
- Inability to report cheating or suspicious behavior

**Requested features**

- Ability to play longer timed games
- Option to disable ads for a one-time fee
- More advanced chess analysis and training features
- Improved matchmaking to pair players of similar skill levels


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ◧ free?

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

### Is Chess Royale free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess ◧ or Chess Royale?

Chess Royale is rated higher. Chess ◧ averages 4.3 out of 5 from 410 ratings, while Chess Royale averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.

### Do Chess ◧ or Chess Royale have ads?

Chess Royale shows ads; Chess ◧ does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess ◧ or Chess Royale?

Chess ◧ ships an update every 12 months, and Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess ◧ was updated on October 15, 2026 and Chess Royale on October 17, 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.*