# Chess vs Chess Time

The clearest difference is price: Chess Time at Free against Chess's $7.99. Chess Time also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 251). Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess Time is free to download; Chess costs $7.99 up front. Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 4.7 for Chess Time. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Time has 1.7K 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 86% of Chess Time's.

Chess ships an update every 4 months, Chess Time every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (251 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-tchess-pro/id295445501/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 251 | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **88.6% of reviews** | 86.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 7 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Tom Kerrigan](https://appshunter.io/developer/295445504) | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) |

## 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 Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152)

Engage in online chess matches with friends or players worldwide. This app supports correspondence play with extended move times and offers features like in-game chat and customizable themes. Track your progress with an auto-calculated ELO rating.

**Highlights:** Online correspondence chess, Play with friends, Global player matchmaking, In-game chat, Customizable chess sets and themes, Auto-calculated ELO rating, PGN export

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Time Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Chess Time Premium - Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| IOS Chess Time Pro | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🌍 Cross-platform play
- 📊 Detailed player stats and rankings
- 💬 In-game chat functionality
- 🕰️ Flexible time controls for games

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive
- 🔒 Lack of robust anti-cheat measures
- 🖥️ Outdated or basic user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Game incorrectly declaring draws on checkmate
- Inability to castle or move pieces in certain situations
- Notification issues across different devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to invite friends to watch ongoing games
- Option to disable move analysis for rated games
- Faster move processing and real-time gameplay
- More diverse chess piece and board designs
- In-app purchase to remove ads permanently


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Time free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Time?

Chess Time is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Chess Time averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess Time have ads?

Chess Time shows ads; Chess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Time?

Chess ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Time every 10 days. Most recently, Chess was updated on September 24, 2026 and Chess Time on September 23, 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.*