# Chess vs Chess.com

The clearest difference is price: Chess.com at Free against Chess's $7.99. Chess.com also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (827K vs 251). Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess.com is free to download; Chess costs $7.99 up front. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess against 4.8 for Chess.com. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 827K ratings behind it against 251, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 64% of Chess.com's.

Chess ships an update every 4 months, Chess.com weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess.com |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-pro/id295445501/reviews) | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 251 | **827K** |
| Positive reviews | **88.6% of reviews** | 63.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#5** |
| Size | 7 MB | 445 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-pro/id295445501)

This app offers a high-quality chess experience for players of all levels, from beginners to professionals. It features a strong engine, analysis tools, and learning resources to improve your game.

**Highlights:** Simulated human opponents for beginners, Top-tier chess engine for experts, Real-time game analysis, 1 or 2-player game support, Opening Library and PGN Database, Position Editor, Rated games and progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Enjoyable and challenging
- 🚀 Plays solid openings and variations
- 👍 Thoroughly enjoyable for novice players
- 👍 Great for beginners and seasoned players
- 👍 Rated games help track progress

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes after updates
- 🐛 Inaccurate rating system
- 🐛 Bright screen background can be tiring
- 🐛 Clunky online game menu

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when creating annotations
- Zoomed-in screen issue when returning to the app
- Difficulty settings not accurately reflecting the AI's strength

**Requested features**

- Add chess puzzles
- Provide more board and piece style options
- Implement a resign feature and draw offer
- Add a move evaluation bar
- Improve the online multiplayer experience


### Chess.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · Board, #6 Top Free · Strategy, #7 Top Grossing · Board, #15 Top Grossing · Strategy, #57 Top Free · Games, #64 Top Grossing · Games, #184 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Engage in online and offline chess matches with millions of players worldwide. Improve your skills through interactive lessons, over 500,000 puzzles, and powerful AI opponents. Compete in tournaments and explore various chess variants.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer chess, Offline play against AI, Extensive puzzle library, Interactive chess lessons, Tournament participation, Chess variants, Game analysis

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gold Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Gold Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Platinum Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Platinum Membership | $10.99 | per month |
| Diamond Membership | $14.99 | per month |
| Diamond Membership | $16.99 | per month |
| Gold Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| Platinum Membership | $49.99 | per year |
| Gold Membership | $49.99 | per year |
| Platinum Membership | $79.99 | per year |
| Diamond Membership | $99.99 | per year |
| Diamond Membership | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app for learning and improving chess skills
- 🎓 Comprehensive lessons, puzzles, and analysis tools
- 🌍 Large player base for quick matchmaking
- 📊 Detailed game statistics and progress tracking
- 💻 Seamless integration between mobile app and website

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues and game freezes
- ⏱️ Unreliable and inconsistent game timers
- 🔒 Lack of transparency around anti-cheating measures
- 💰 Aggressive paywall for advanced features
- 🤖 Subpar AI opponents with questionable move choices

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect move suggestions in game analysis
- Inability to leave or manage chess clubs within the app
- Puzzle mode crashing when attempting to reveal the solution
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data
- Pieces not registering correctly on the board during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize board and piece themes
- Option to pause and resume games at a later time
- Improved game analysis with more detailed explanations
- Enhanced social features for interacting with other players
- Offline mode for practicing puzzles and tactics


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess.com?

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Chess.com averages 4.8 from 827K ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess.com have ads?

Chess.com shows ads; Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess.com?

Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Chess.com weekly. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 22, 2026 and Chess.com on September 24, 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.*