# Chess Premium vs Chess Time

The clearest difference is price: Chess Time at Free against Chess Premium's $9.99. Chess Time also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months). Chess Premium's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, review sentiment, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Chess Time is free to download; Chess Premium costs $9.99 up front. Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Chess Premium asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess Premium against 4.7 for Chess Time. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5.2K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Chess Premium's written reviews are positive against 86% of Chess Time's.

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, Chess Time every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Premium | Chess Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (5.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5.2K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | 80.3% of reviews | **86.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 39 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Optime Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/289278460) | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Premium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-premium/id311395924)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Paid · Board, #126 Top Paid · Strategy (US App Store)

Enjoy a classic chess experience without ads or internet. Play against a challenging AI with adjustable difficulty or a friend offline. Features stunning visuals, instant auto-saves, and undo support for uninterrupted gameplay.

**Highlights:** No ads or internet required, Adjustable AI difficulty levels, Offline two-player mode, Stunning Retina display visuals, Instant auto-save, Undo support and score tracking

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for practicing chess
- 🚀 Fast gameplay
- 💡 Adjustable difficulty levels
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 👍 No ads in premium version

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🐛 Issues with detecting checkmate
- 🐛 Pawns moving incorrectly
- 🐛 Pieces disappearing from the board
- 🐛 Slow performance in premium version

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect checkmate detection
- Pawns moving in illegal ways
- Pieces randomly disappearing
- Slow performance after upgrade
- Ads still showing after purchase

**Requested features**

- Option to turn off stalemate
- Ability to save and load games
- Notation or move history display
- More board and piece theme options
- Tutorials or strategic tips


### 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 Premium free?

Chess Premium costs $9.99, 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 Premium or Chess Time?

Chess Time is rated higher. Chess Premium averages 4.7 out of 5 from 5.2K ratings, while Chess Time averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Chess Premium or Chess Time have ads?

Chess Time shows ads; Chess Premium does not.

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

Chess Premium ships an update every 3 months, and Chess Time every 10 days. Most recently, Chess Premium was updated on October 18, 2026 and Chess Time on October 16, 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.*