Chess ∙ vs Chess Clock by Chess.com
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess ∙
Experience a visually appealing and engaging chess game on your iPhone and iPod Touch. Play against friends or a customizable AI opponent with features like undo and automatic saving. Enjoy a free, ad-supported experience.
- 1 and 2 player gameplay
- Challenging computer opponent
- Great graphics and sound
- Configurable difficulty
- Undo function
- Automatic save
Read full descriptionHide full description
Are you tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64 instead of an iPhone? We've got the antidote for you. Chess Free is the best chess game for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and it's free! Chess Free supports both 1 player and 2 player gameplay, so you can play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Chess Free offers a host of exciting features, including: * Great graphics and exciting sound effects * Configurable player names and score tracking * Outstanding AI engine with configurable difficulty level * Board rotation for two player games * Undo function * Automatic save when you get a phone call or exit the application Chess Free is supported by unobtrusive banner advertising. Chess Premium is the same great app without the ads.
Chess Clock by Chess.com
This free app functions as a digital chess clock, offering customizable time controls for any game. It supports various increment and delay types, multiple stages, and handicapping, making it ideal for casual play and tournaments. Adjust time on the fly and enjoy clear displays and audio alerts.
- Customizable time controls
- Fischer and Bronstein increments
- Multiple-stage time controls
- Handicapping support
- On-the-fly time adjustments
- Pause and interruption support
- Audio alerts
Read full descriptionHide full description
Replace your chess clock with this free game timer! It's easy to use, yet fully featured to handle any time control. 100% free: no in-app purchases, no ads! Choose your time control and you're ready to play. The 2nd player presses her button to start the 1st player's clock - and the game is on! FEATURES - Large, easy-to-read buttons - Works in landscape and portrait on all devices - Quickly customize the app for one-tap access to all your favorite time controls - Time controls include base minutes per player and optional per-move delays or bonus time. The app supports both Fischer and Bronstein increments, as well as simple delays. The duration is up to you! - Supports multiple-stage time controls commonly seen in tournaments, such as "40 moves in 2 hours + game in 60 minutes." A glance at the clock shows your current stage! - Support for handicapping lets you set different time controls for each player! - You can adjust the time remaining on the fly, in the middle of your game, for either or both players! - Clock pauses automatically if the app is interrupted; manually pause the clock at any time - Pleasant sounds for buttons and "time's up" alert At Chess.com, we really do love chess, and *sometimes* we even play it offline! For times like that, we created this clock - and we hope you love it as much as we do.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Chess Clock by Chess.com at none against Chess ∙'s shown. Chess Clock by Chess.com also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 56%) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Chess ∙'s advantage is ratings volume (205K vs 338) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Chess ∙ against 4.6 for Chess Clock by Chess.com. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess ∙ has 205K ratings behind it against 338, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Chess ∙'s written reviews are positive against 91% of Chess Clock by Chess.com's.
Chess ∙ ships an update every 4 months, Chess Clock by Chess.com every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Chess ∙ | Chess Clock by Chess.com |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (205K ratings) | 4.6 (338 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 56.5% of reviews | 90.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 205K — better | 338 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #81 — better | #159 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 84 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Optime Software LLC | Chess.com |
Customer experience
Chess ∙
Chess Clock by Chess.com
User reviews
Chess ∙
From 205K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fun to play everyday
- 👍 Good free game
- 👍 Nice little game
- 👍 Very good practice
- 👍 Addictive
Room to improve
- 🐛 AD crazy
- 🐛 Major glitches make the game impossible
- 🐛 Force draw
- 🐛 Issues, needs fixing but has potential
- 🐛 Disappearing Pieces
Chess Clock by Chess.com
From 338 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ⏱️ Simple and easy to use
- 🔒 No ads or data collection
- 🎨 Intuitive and clean interface
- 🔊 Satisfying click sound effects
- 🕰️ Customizable time controls
Room to improve
- 🐛 Sound issues (no sound in silent mode, changed sound)
- 🔍 Difficulty reading in bright outdoor settings
- 🤖 Limited functionality (can't set different times for players)
Bugs and requests
Chess ∙
Reported bugs
10 issues- Rook being able to move diagonally
- Stalemate glitch where it will preemptively call stalemate before it even happens
- Call stalemate when only the king can't move, and the other pieces can still move
- Pieces move too fast
- Doesn't allow en-passant moves by pawns
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Refuses to allow legitimate win, claims draw instead
- Doesn't recognize stalemate
- Doesn't recognize checkmate
- Pieces disappearing
- Illegal moves by the AI
Requested features
6 requests- Undo from stalemate
- Highland opponents last move in green and my last move in blue
- Allow a third level of zoom to fill the screen
- Display a numeric value when difficulty slider is moved
- Ability to turn off safety where you can't move king to where it would get taken out
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Ability to turn off draw by stalemate rule
Chess Clock by Chess.com
Reported bugs
2 issues- Time not always reduced when pressing the clock quickly
- Custom time settings not always saved properly
Requested features
4 requests- Add warning/countdown alerts for time running out
- Allow setting different times for each player
- Provide more theme/color options
- Add vibration feedback when pressing the clock
In-app purchases
Chess ∙
No in-app purchases
Chess Clock by Chess.com
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess ∙ free?
Is Chess Clock by Chess.com free?
Which has better reviews, Chess ∙ or Chess Clock by Chess.com?
Do Chess ∙ or Chess Clock by Chess.com have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess ∙ or Chess Clock by Chess.com?
Which is more popular, Chess ∙ or Chess Clock by Chess.com?
Other comparisons
