# Chess Timer vs Colonist.io

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Colonist.io at none against Chess Timer's 1. Colonist.io also leads on ratings volume (4K vs 55) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months). Chess Timer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (43% vs 23%). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Timer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Colonist.io asks for nothing beyond the download.

Colonist.io holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Colonist.io has 4K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Chess Timer's written reviews are positive against 23% of Colonist.io's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess Timer ships an update every 11 months, Colonist.io every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Timer | Colonist.io |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-timer/id1208199658/reviews) | **[4.5 (4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colonistio-catan-inspired/id6444831129/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 55 | **4K** |
| Positive reviews | **42.9% of reviews** | 23.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#175** |
| Size | 2 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [DAVID CROOKS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1654030206) | [Colonist](https://appshunter.io/developer/1805063930) |

## 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 |


### Colonist.io

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colonistio-catan-inspired/id6444831129)

**Currently charting:** #175 Top Free · Strategy, #179 Top Free · Board (US App Store)

Engage in a competitive multiplayer strategy game where you build settlements and expand your territory. Master simple rules with deep gameplay through strategy, planning, and negotiation. Compete against friends, bots, or climb leaderboards in ranked modes.

**Highlights:** Build settlements, Expand territory, Multiplayer competition, Strategy and negotiation, Ranked leaderboards, Custom maps and expansions, Player customization

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great Catan experience
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🤝 Fun to play with friends
- 💰 Free to play

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Dice rolls are biased and unrealistic
- 🔋 Battery-draining
- 🔒 Questionable algorithm and randomness
- 👎 Frequent crashes and disconnects
- 💸 Expensive subscription model

**Reported bugs**

- Dice rolls are predictable and favor certain players
- Frequent crashes and disconnects during games
- Compatibility issues with older devices
- UI elements not scaling properly on smaller screens
- Inability to rejoin games after disconnects

**Requested features**

- Improve dice algorithm to be more random
- Add offline/single-player mode
- Improve UI and user experience
- Provide more customization options
- Improve stability and reduce crashes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Timer free?

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

### Is Colonist.io free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Timer or Colonist.io?

Colonist.io is rated higher. Chess Timer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while Colonist.io averages 4.5 from 4K ratings.

### Do Chess Timer or Colonist.io have ads?

Colonist.io shows ads; Chess Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Timer or Colonist.io?

Chess Timer ships an update every 11 months, and Colonist.io every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Timer was updated on September 11, 2026 and Colonist.io on September 26, 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.*