# Chess Timer vs The Queen's Gambit Chess

The clearest difference is update cadence: The Queen's Gambit Chess at every 2 months against Chess Timer's every 11 months. The Queen's Gambit Chess also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 55). Chess Timer's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Queen's Gambit Chess sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Chess Timer against 4.4 for The Queen's Gambit Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Queen's Gambit Chess has 1.2K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Chess Timer's written reviews are positive against 45% of The Queen's Gambit Chess's.

Chess Timer ships an update every 11 months, The Queen's Gambit Chess every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Timer | The Queen's Gambit Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-timer/id1208199658/reviews) | **[4.4 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-queens-gambit-chess/id1588301078/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 55 | **1.2K** |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | **45.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 2 MB | 1.8 GB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [DAVID CROOKS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1654030206) | [Netflix, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/363590054) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-timer/id1208199658)

A straightforward dual timer designed for over-the-board chess and other two-player competitive games. It allows for customizable time increments, delays, and overtime limits, functioning as a simple chess clock or for games like Scrabble and Go.

**Highlights:** Dual timer for two-player games, Fischer, Bronstein, and simple delay increments, Overtime limits with penalties, Supports games like Scrabble and Go, Intuitive tap-to-switch interface

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Timer Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


### The Queen's Gambit Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-queens-gambit-chess/id1588301078)

Learn and play chess with interactive lessons, puzzles, and matches. Visualize moves like a character from the show and track your progress on a unique game map. Compete against friends or AI.

**Highlights:** Interactive chess lessons, Play puzzles and matches, Beth Vision move visualization, Multiplayer and AI opponents, Game progress map, In-game glossary, Undo and review moves

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netflix Standard Plan | $19.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and design
- 🎓 Excellent for learning chess
- 🕹️ Fun and engaging gameplay
- 👍 Great for both beginners and experienced players
- 🎉 Nostalgia from the Queen's Gambit show

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🕹️ Clunky controls and navigation
- 📚 Repetitive tutorials and instructions
- 🔍 Difficulty reading the chess board
- 🕰️ Slow animations and loading times

**Reported bugs**

- Game crashes on launch or during matches
- Issues with piece movement and board display
- Inability to log in or connect to the server
- Puzzles and challenges with incorrect solutions
- Saved progress not syncing across devices

**Requested features**

- Customizable text size and board layouts
- More advanced chess puzzles and training
- Ability to review and analyze past games
- Online multiplayer with real-time gameplay
- Option to disable tutorials and jump straight to gameplay


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Timer free?

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

### Is The Queen's Gambit Chess free?

The Queen's Gambit Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Timer or The Queen's Gambit Chess?

The Queen's Gambit Chess is rated higher. Chess Timer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while The Queen's Gambit Chess averages 4.4 from 1.2K ratings.

### Do Chess Timer or The Queen's Gambit Chess have ads?

Neither Chess Timer nor The Queen's Gambit Chess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Timer or The Queen's Gambit Chess?

Chess Timer ships an update every 11 months, and The Queen's Gambit Chess every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Timer was updated on September 11, 2026 and The Queen's Gambit Chess on September 27, 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.*