# Nimtastic vs Pocket Chess

The clearest difference is rating: Pocket Chess at 4.6 against Nimtastic's 4.0. Pocket Chess also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (15K vs 8). Nimtastic's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (75% vs 61%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nimtastic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Pocket Chess sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pocket Chess holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Chess has 15K ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Nimtastic's written reviews are positive against 61% of Pocket Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Nimtastic ships an update every 14 months, Pocket Chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nimtastic | Pocket Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nimtastic/id938327160/reviews) | **[4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **15K** |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 61.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#118** |
| Size | 6 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Stewart Lynch](https://appshunter.io/developer/428795637) | [Lessmore GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1579865033) |

## What reviewers say

### Nimtastic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nimtastic/id938327160)

Master the classic mathematical game of strategy. Learn to win by taking turns removing objects from distinct heaps. Impress your friends with your newfound strategic prowess.

**Highlights:** Mathematical strategy game, Turn-based gameplay, Object removal from heaps, Learn winning strategies, Impress friends

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |


### Pocket Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-chess/id1580054076)

**Currently charting:** #118 Top Free · Board (US App Store)

Enhance your chess skills with hundreds of challenging chess problems and puzzles. This app focuses on simplified boards to help you quickly recognize chess patterns and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of chess problems, Checkmate in 2 and 4 puzzles, Simplified boards for pattern recognition, Improve chess game, Learn chess patterns faster

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Coin Bundle | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Starter Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Event Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Coin Bundle | $5.99 | one-time |
| Large Coin Bundle | $11.99 | one-time |
| Super Coin Bundle | $25.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Improved chess skills
- 👍 Challenging yet fun puzzles
- 🤩 Addictive and engaging
- 🧠 Helps develop tactical thinking
- 📈 Tracks progress and skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🙄 Excessive ads
- 💰 Expensive to remove ads
- 🐛 Some puzzles have issues
- 🤔 Opponent moves don't always make sense

**Reported bugs**

- Progress data loss
- Incorrect checkmate solutions
- Game freezing after certain moves

**Requested features**

- Ability to review past puzzles
- More advanced puzzles and levels
- Option to disable audio/music
- Sync progress across devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nimtastic free?

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

### Is Pocket Chess free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nimtastic or Pocket Chess?

Pocket Chess is rated higher. Nimtastic averages 4.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Pocket Chess averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.

### Do Nimtastic or Pocket Chess have ads?

Pocket Chess shows ads; Nimtastic does not.

### Which is updated more often, Nimtastic or Pocket Chess?

Nimtastic ships an update every 14 months, and Pocket Chess every 2 months. Most recently, Nimtastic was updated on October 24, 2026 and Pocket Chess on October 28, 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.*