# Chess Timer vs Chess Puzzles & Tactics

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Timer at 5.0 against Chess Puzzles & Tactics's 4.5. Chess Timer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Chess Puzzles & Tactics's advantage is ratings volume (485 vs 8). On price, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

Chess Timer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Puzzles & Tactics has 485 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Chess Timer's written reviews are positive against 76% of Chess Puzzles & Tactics's.

Chess Timer ships an update every 2 days, Chess Puzzles & Tactics weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Timer | Chess Puzzles & Tactics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-timer-simple/id1570184612/reviews)** | [4.5 (485 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **485** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 75.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 0 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.3** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Manuel Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1570184614) | [Sajed Nahian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494597866) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Timer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-timer-simple/id1570184612)

A straightforward chess clock app designed for timing matches. It offers essential functions like pausing and resetting the timer, with customizable time intervals. The app is free and free of ads, in-app purchases, and tracking.

**Highlights:** Countdown timer, Pause clock function, Reset timer button, Customizable time intervals, Ad-free experience

**In-app purchases:** none


### Chess Puzzles & Tactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614)

Enhance your chess skills with an extensive collection of puzzles and tactical exercises. Tailor your training by customizing puzzle difficulty and Elo ratings to target specific weaknesses and accelerate improvement, suitable for players of all levels.

**Highlights:** Infinite chess puzzles, Tactics training, Customizable puzzles, Elo rating adjustment, All player levels, Extensive tactic list

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Forever | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🆓 Free to use, no ads
- ♾️ Seemingly endless puzzles
- 🧠 Great for chess improvement
- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎯 Puzzles tailored to skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Progress resets (ELO, history)
- ⚠️ Login issues (Apple/Google)
- ⏳ Puzzles take a long time to load
- 🥶 Freezes and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to login
- Application resets to starting value (1000elo)
- History/review chapters remain unlocked
- In-application feedback not functioning
- Rating feature broke

**Requested features**

- Option to mute sounds
- Ability to disable audio
- Allow loading custom puzzle sets
- Better interface and cable


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Timer free?

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

### Is Chess Puzzles & Tactics free?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Timer or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess Timer is rated higher. Chess Timer averages 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Chess Puzzles & Tactics averages 4.5 from 485 ratings.

### Do Chess Timer or Chess Puzzles & Tactics have ads?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics shows ads; Chess Timer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Timer or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess Timer ships an update every 2 days, and Chess Puzzles & Tactics weekly. Most recently, Chess Timer was updated on October 2, 2026 and Chess Puzzles & Tactics on October 17, 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.*