Comparison

ChessClock vs Mancala+

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ChessClock

This app provides a digital and analog chess clock with customizable time controls, including Fischer, Bronstein, and USCF delay modes. It features a classic skeuomorphic design and highlights the active clock for easy tracking during games.

Highlights
  • Dual clock display
  • Fischer, Bronstein, USCF delay modes
  • Analog and digital modes
  • Independent clock settings
  • Active clock highlighting
  • Skeuomorphic design
Features
Read full description

My original iOS Chess Clock from 2008 is back... in all its old-school Skeuomorphic glory!  Two clocks. Tap one to start the other counting down. Tap both to stop both. Tap the little clock icon to set the time, and the info button to change the settings. Chess Clock includes features found in competition chess clocks, including Fischer, Bronstein, and USCF ("Simple") delay modes, which work in both digital and the visually appealing analog mode. Also, since this version was rewritten entirely within the borders of Switzerland, I guess this might be the cheapest Swiss timepiece you can have. Features: • Analog flag movement that swings back and forth as it falls (which took me a silly amount of time to get right, but I like it) • Set each clock independently • Analog and digital modes • Adjustable time delay (Bronstein, Fischer, and USCF modes) • Highlights the currently running clock

About

Mancala+

Experience the classic African board game with a digital twist. Challenge a computer opponent with adjustable difficulty or play against a friend. Offers standard Kalah rules with options for starting seeds per pit.

Highlights
  • Play against AI opponent
  • Local multiplayer mode
  • Selectable difficulty levels
  • Adjustable starting seeds per pit
  • Standard Kalah rules implementation
Features
Read full description

Play the classic African board game against a challenging computer opponent, or another person! Features: - Selectable difficulty level - Human vs. iPhone or Human vs. Human - Select from 3 to 6 starting seeds per pit This version of Mancala uses standard Kalah rules: - Each player's pits are filled with a preset number of seeds - On any given turn, a player may sow seeds from any of their pits, proceeding counterclockwise around the board, skipping the opponent's store - If the last seed lands in the player's own store, the player gets a free turn - If the last seed lands in an empty pit on the player's side, and the opposite pit contains seeds, the player captures both the single seed, and all seeds in the corresponding pit on the opponent's side - When either player has no seeds in any of their pits, the other player's seeds move into their store, ending the game - At the end of the game, the player with the highest number of seeds in his or her store is the winner COMING SOON: - More advanced Mancala rule sets, including Oware

Screenshots

ChessClock3 screens
Mancala+2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Mancala+ at none against ChessClock's shown. Mancala+ also leads on review sentiment (55% vs 38%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 8 months). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessClock ships an update every 8 months, Mancala+ every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ChessClock versus Mancala+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessClockMancala+
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.1 (568 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews55.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—568 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.43.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAardustry GmbHSpiny Software

Customer experience

ChessClock

Written reviews16 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral18.8%
Negative43.8%

Mancala+

All ratings568 ratings
Positive40.3%
Neutral24.8%
Negative34.9%
Written reviews107 reviews
Positive55.1%
Neutral18.7%
Negative26.2%

Bugs and requests

ChessClock

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Mancala+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on certain iOS versions
  • Incompatible with newer iOS updates
  • Incorrect game mechanics and rule enforcement

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add instructions and tutorial for new players
  • Provide option to slow down animation speed
  • Allow listening to music during gameplay
  • Implement online/multiplayer mode
  • Add more difficulty levels and customization options

In-app purchases

None

ChessClock

No in-app purchases

None

Mancala+

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChessClock free?
ChessClock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mancala+ free?
Mancala+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ChessClock or Mancala+ have ads?
ChessClock shows ads; Mancala+ does not.
Which is updated more often, ChessClock or Mancala+?
ChessClock ships an update every 8 months, and Mancala+ every 3 months. Most recently, ChessClock was updated on September 30, 2026 and Mancala+ on October 8, 2026.

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