# Five Elements Chess vs Phantom Words

The clearest difference is monetization model: Phantom Words at free against Five Elements Chess's free with in-app purchases. Five Elements Chess's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 4 days) and ratings volume (74 vs 7). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Five Elements Chess against 4.9 for Phantom Words. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Five Elements Chess has 74 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, Phantom Words every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Five Elements Chess | Phantom Words |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/five-elements-chess/id934862443/reviews) | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-words/id6789995017/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **74** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 280 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beijing Jiao Dian Chuang Yi digital technology Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/654637118) | [Fleon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1369538991) |

## 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 |


### Phantom Words

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phantom-words/id6789995017)

Unscramble letters by sliding rows and columns to form words. Discover hidden letters as you play, with increasing complexity and new mechanics introduced. Offers multiple game modes for varied challenges.

**Highlights:** Sliding row and column puzzles, Hidden letter discovery, Progressive difficulty, Multiple game modes (Classic, Endless, Daily, Lightning), iCloud sync across devices, Game Center leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind Supporter | $2.49 | one-time |
| Generous Supporter | $4.99 | one-time |
| Huge Supporter | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Five Elements Chess free?

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

### Is Phantom Words free?

Phantom Words is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Five Elements Chess or Phantom Words?

Phantom Words is rated higher. Five Elements Chess averages 4.8 out of 5 from 74 ratings, while Phantom Words averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.

### Do Five Elements Chess or Phantom Words have ads?

Neither Five Elements Chess nor Phantom Words shows ads.

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

Five Elements Chess ships an update daily, and Phantom Words every 4 days. Most recently, Five Elements Chess was updated on October 11, 2026 and Phantom Words on October 11, 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.*