Comparison

Chess Duel vs Chess Royale

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

Head to head
About

Chess Duel

Engage in a classic game of chess with a friend using only a local WiFi connection. Each player views the board from their perspective on their own device. No internet or external servers are required for gameplay.

Highlights
  • Play chess with nearby friends
  • Direct peer-to-peer WiFi connection
  • Automatic WiFi connection
  • Automatic game resume
  • Legal move highlighting
  • Customizable chess clock
  • Request takebacks
Features
Read full description

Play chess with nearby friends via local WiFi. Play with your iPhone against a friend with an iPhone. Each player is seeing the board from his point of view (white / black) on the own device. Works on iPhone, iPad and iPod. To use the app, you need two devices with iOS 9.3 or newer. There is no engine included, which means that you can not play chess vs. this app. When you start chess duel on two devices, the devices do connect automatically. If WiFi is activated and the devices are nearby or they are on the same WiFi network. You don't need an account. Connection over the internet is not possible. Features - play chess with nearby friends - direct nearby peer to peer connection via WiFi or WiFi network, no chess server involved - automatically connects via wifi - you can safely close the app during a game, chess duel automatically resumes the game when reconnected - on interruption due to a phone call or an incoming message, the game is paused on both devices and resumes when you get back to the app - shows legal moves when you tap a chess piece - does not use gamecenter - no internet connection required - time control: you can setup the chess clock arbitrary for white and black, increment is supported as well - request takebacks, the opponent can accept or decline - give opponent additional time - universal app: iPhone / iPod / iPad - best chess app for nearby connections documentation: snugdev.de/chessduel/documentation.html

About

Chess Royale

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
Read full description

► THE ONLY CHESS APP YOU NEED Whether you’re a complete beginner or a highly experienced player, Chess Royale has everything you could need to enjoy one of the world’s greatest board games on your mobile device. Play with the AI, with friends, or with millions of strangers all over the world, then train your chess skills with tutorials, puzzles, and post-game analysis. One of the greatest things about chess is that there’s always something new to learn, and this beautifully designed app will allow you to keep on discovering the magic of chess and enhancing your love of the game day after day. ► WHY CHESS? ◾ With a history that stretches back over millennia, chess is both a vital cultural artefact and a beloved pastime that brings together millions of players all over the world. ◾ Renowned as a fierce test of the intellect, chess provides incredible training for your brain. Regularly playing chess and solving puzzles can train your strategic skills, develop logical and lateral thinking, help with learning and understanding psychology, improve your analysis and enhance your memory. ◾ It’s fun! Chess may be intimidating for beginners, but the more you learn and the better you understand the game, the more entertaining and rewarding it becomes. There’s some reason why it has remained among the most popular board games in the world for centuries, after all. ► WHY CHESS ROYALE? ◾ It pays to be popular: With over 50 000 000 players across all popular platforms, Chess Royale ensures there’s always a real opponent of similar skill online and ready to play in a variety of multiplayer formats. ◾ Endless variations: Not only can you challenge real players of different skill levels, you can also play in eight different modes. Play blitzes with varying time limitations, use the notifications system to play with friends when they’re online, test yourself in private against the game’s AI, and enter and arrange tournaments of various formats for more multiplayer fun. ◾ More than just a game: Chess Royale boasts more than 5000 chess puzzles to help you train specific aspects of your game. The app also features analysis tools that you can use post-match to help with your learning and development. And there is a trainer for beginners and more advanced players to get a better grasp of this intensely rich and complex game. Despite the wonders of modern technology, you’ll be hard pressed to find a mobile game that’s as challenging, enjoyable, and intellectually satisfying as chess. Whether you’re looking for just a new game to play online or a trainer to help you take the very first steps in exploring the magic of chess, Chess Royale offers something extra. Download the app now to discover the ultimate mobile chess environment. ►Vip Subscription: - You can subscribe to Vip membership to play without any ads, unlock all purchasable deck packs and play infinite puzzles every day. Also you can use infinite hints while solving chess puzzles - You are able to choose from three subscription options: a weekly subscription (free for the first 3 days) for $4.99 USD, a monthly subscription for $14.99 USD, an annual subscription for $79.99 USD - Subscription payments will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of your purchase and upon commencement of each renewal term. Subscription with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. You can cancel your subscription or free trial in the iTunes settings at least 24-hours before the end of the free trial period. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period and you will be downgraded to the free service. - Please note that any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase Privacy Policy: https://say.games/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://say.games/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Chess Duel4 screens
Chess Royale4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Royale at 4.5 against Chess Duel's 3.3. Chess Royale also leads on ratings volume (20K vs 7) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). Chess Duel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support 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. Chess Royale sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Chess Duel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Royale holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Royale has 20K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Duel ships an update every 5 months, Chess Royale every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Chess Duel versus Chess Royale: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess DuelChess Royale
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (7 ratings)4.5 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings720K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#173 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB490 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLothar HeinrichSayGames LTD

Customer experience

Chess Duel

All ratings7 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive67.6%
Neutral5.9%
Negative26.5%

Chess Royale

All ratings20,246 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral5.4%
Negative6.4%

Bugs and requests

Chess Duel

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Chess Royale

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

4 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

Chess Duel

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Chess Royale

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Vip3 Days trial2 variants$7.997 Days
  • Monthly Vip$19.991 Month
  • Annual Vip$39.991 Year
One-time7
  • Tiny Coins Pack$0.99
  • Tiny Gems Pack$1.99
  • Gold Reserve 2$2.99
Show 4 more
  • Coins Pack Offer$3.99
  • Disable Ads Forever$4.99
  • Medium Gems Pack$6.99
  • Large Gems Pack$19.99

Questions

Is Chess Duel free?
Chess Duel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Royale free?
Chess Royale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess Duel or Chess Royale?
Chess Royale is rated higher. Chess Duel averages 3.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Chess Royale averages 4.5 from 20K ratings.
Do Chess Duel or Chess Royale have ads?
Chess Royale shows ads; Chess Duel does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Duel or Chess Royale?
Chess Duel ships an update every 5 months, and Chess Royale every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess Duel was updated on October 21, 2026 and Chess Royale on October 24, 2026.

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