# Five Elements Chess vs Hexbrew

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hexbrew at none against Five Elements Chess's 3. Hexbrew also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Five Elements Chess's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (74 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Five Elements Chess sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Hexbrew asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hexbrew holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five Elements Chess has 74 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, Hexbrew every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Five Elements Chess | Hexbrew |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-elements-chess/id934862443/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexbrew-daily-potion-puzzle/id6787140764/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 280 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ming Gao](https://appshunter.io/developer/654637118) | [Jordan Wegner](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787140076) |

## 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 |


### Hexbrew

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hexbrew-daily-potion-puzzle/id6787140764)

Deduce the secret potion recipe by placing ingredients in the correct order. Use logic and feedback from the cauldron to solve the daily puzzle within six attempts. Enjoy unlimited practice with random recipes offline.

**Highlights:** Daily deduction puzzle, Ingredient placement logic, Cauldron feedback system, Offline play, Unlimited practice mode, Spoiler-free sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Five Elements Chess free?

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

### Is Hexbrew free?

Hexbrew is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Five Elements Chess or Hexbrew?

Hexbrew is rated higher. Five Elements Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Hexbrew averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Five Elements Chess or Hexbrew have ads?

Neither Five Elements Chess nor Hexbrew shows ads.

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

Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, and Hexbrew every 5 weeks. Most recently, Five Elements Chess was updated on October 11, 2026 and Hexbrew on October 16, 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.*