# Chess ◧ vs Chess Prime 3D

The clearest difference is ads: Chess ◧ at none against Chess Prime 3D's shown. Chess Prime 3D's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months) and review sentiment (81% vs 53%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess ◧ sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Chess Prime 3D sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess Prime 3D holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Prime 3D has 62K 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 81% of Chess Prime 3D's.

Chess ◧ ships an update every 12 months, Chess Prime 3D every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess ◧ | Chess Prime 3D |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (410 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess/id902406863/reviews) | **[4.6 (62K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime-3d/id990477277/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 410 | **62K** |
| Positive reviews | 52.9% of reviews | **81.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 64 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TapMedia Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/359632753) | [Vinta Games](https://appshunter.io/developer/505409005) |

## 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 Prime 3D

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-prime-3d/id990477277)

Engage in classic chess with stunning 3D graphics and versatile play modes. Challenge yourself with puzzles, play against AI or friends online, and learn with helpful move indicators. Save games, customize the board, and master openings.

**Highlights:** 3D and 2D board views, Single player and two player modes, Online multiplayer with chat, Hundreds of chess puzzles, Adjustable AI difficulty, Legal move highlighting, Board setup and save/load

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app, easy to use
- 👍 Versatile with customization options
- 🎨 Excellent 3D graphics and visuals
- 💡 Helpful for learning and improving chess skills

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connection issues and glitches
- ⏱️ Frustrating timer and move registration problems
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive and disruptive
- 🤖 Difficulty levels can be unbalanced and overly challenging

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces not moving as expected
- Game freezing or crashing during play
- Incorrect move registrations and stalemate issues

**Requested features**

- Online multiplayer with chat functionality
- Ability to save and review game history
- Option to play background music from device
- Improved matchmaking and difficulty balancing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess ◧ free?

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

### Is Chess Prime 3D free?

Chess Prime 3D is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess ◧ or Chess Prime 3D?

Chess Prime 3D is rated higher. Chess ◧ averages 4.3 out of 5 from 410 ratings, while Chess Prime 3D averages 4.6 from 62K ratings.

### Do Chess ◧ or Chess Prime 3D have ads?

Chess Prime 3D shows ads; Chess ◧ does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess ◧ or Chess Prime 3D?

Chess ◧ ships an update every 12 months, and Chess Prime 3D every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess ◧ was updated on October 16, 2026 and Chess Prime 3D on October 18, 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.*