# Five Elements Chess vs Drop Duchy

The clearest difference is rating: Five Elements Chess at 4.8 against Drop Duchy's 4.4. Five Elements Chess also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and ratings volume (74 vs 11). Drop Duchy's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Five Elements Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Drop Duchy sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Five Elements Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five Elements Chess has 74 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Five Elements Chess's written reviews are positive against 88% of Drop Duchy's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Five Elements Chess | Drop Duchy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-elements-chess/id934862443/reviews)** | [4.4 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drop-duchy/id6748815540/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 87.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Daily | Daily |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 280 MB | 304 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Jiao Dian Chuang Yi digital technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/654637118) | [Doghowl Games Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805603341) |

## What reviewers say

### Five Elements Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-elements-chess/id934862443)

Engage in strategic spell-duels with this match-three game inspired by Five Elements theory. Enjoy a calm, Zen-like visual style with a blend of strategy and luck. Compete locally or online against other players.

**Highlights:** Five Elements theory integration, Match-three gameplay, Deep strategy, Zen-inspired visuals, Local and online PvP

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time Skin Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Five Elements Chess full game | $3.99 | one-time |
| Seasons Skin Pack | $3.99 | one-time |


### Drop Duchy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drop-duchy/id6748815540)

Experience a unique blend of deckbuilding, puzzle, and rogue-lite gameplay. Build a realm by strategically placing tiles, gather resources, and lead your troops to reclaim enemy territory. Each run offers a fresh challenge with procedural generation and meta-progression.

**Highlights:** Deckbuilding, puzzle, and rogue-lite gameplay mix, Strategic tile placement for resource maximization, Real-time strategy combat and territory reclamation, Procedurally generated game experiences, Meta-progression with over 90 challenges, Over 110 unique cards for deck building, Three playable factions: The Duchy, The Order, The Republic

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Base Game Offer | $12.99 | one-time |
| Base Game | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Five Elements Chess free?

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

### Is Drop Duchy free?

Drop Duchy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Five Elements Chess or Drop Duchy?

Five Elements Chess is rated higher. Five Elements Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Drop Duchy averages 4.4 from 11 ratings.

### Do Five Elements Chess or Drop Duchy have ads?

Neither Five Elements Chess nor Drop Duchy shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Five Elements Chess or Drop Duchy?

Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, and Drop Duchy daily. Most recently, Five Elements Chess was updated on October 11, 2026 and Drop Duchy on October 3, 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.*