# Chess.com vs Chess Sudoku

The clearest difference is price: Chess.com at Free against Chess Sudoku's $4.99. Chess.com also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (860K vs 148). Chess Sudoku'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 Sudoku costs $4.99 up front. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Chess Sudoku asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chess.com against 4.9 for Chess Sudoku. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 860K ratings behind it against 148, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 84% of Chess Sudoku's.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Chess Sudoku every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess Sudoku |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (860K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews) | **[4.9 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-sudoku/id1500654482/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **860K** | 148 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **84.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | #176 |
| Size | 447 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Nick Carney](https://appshunter.io/developer/1434235673) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Strategy, #2 Top Free · Board, #7 Top Grossing · Board, #16 Top Free · Games, #19 Top Grossing · Strategy, #80 Top Grossing · Games, #86 Top Free, #196 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


### Chess Sudoku

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-sudoku/id1500654482)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

This app combines classic Sudoku with chess-inspired logic. Solve puzzles where digits cannot repeat in rows, columns, or boxes, and also adhere to specific chess piece movement rules for added challenge. Earn stars by solving puzzles to unlock more.

**Highlights:** Knight Sudoku puzzles, King Sudoku puzzles, Queen Sudoku puzzles, 100 crafted puzzles, Human-tested hints, Star-based progression

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great puzzles
- 💡 Innovative chess constraints
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Helpful hints
- 👍 Smooth gameplay

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Queen move puzzles have errors
- 🐛 Puzzles lack variety
- 🐛 Difficulty ratings are odd
- 🐛 App can be boring after finishing puzzles
- 🐛 High power consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Queen move puzzles have errors/contradictions
- Puzzles sometimes have multiple solutions
- Queen puzzles sometimes appear as plain sudoku
- Queen sudoku has errors forcing restraint breaks
- iPad app doesn't allow 180-degree orientation change

**Requested features**

- Larger number buttons
- More puzzle variety
- More puzzles overall
- Cloud saves
- Landscape mode for iPad


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Chess Sudoku free?

Chess Sudoku costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess Sudoku is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 860K ratings, while Chess Sudoku averages 4.9 from 148 ratings.

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

Chess.com shows ads; Chess Sudoku does not.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess Sudoku every 2 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on October 29, 2026 and Chess Sudoku on October 27, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Chess.com or Chess Sudoku?

Chess.com currently peaks at #1 in the App Store charts, and Chess Sudoku at #176. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*