# Chess.com vs Chess TD

Chess.com and Chess TD both sit at 4.8 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 24% of Chess TD's. Chess.com also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks) and ratings volume (827K vs 853). Chess TD's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Chess TD sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chess.com against 4.7 for Chess TD. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 827K ratings behind it against 853, 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 24% of Chess TD's.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Chess TD every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess TD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.7 (853 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-td/id1522888447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **827K** | 853 |
| Positive reviews | **64.0% of reviews** | 24.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 445 MB | 491 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [vmoga](https://appshunter.io/developer/945300832) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · Board, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #9 Top Free · Strategy, #14 Top Grossing · Strategy, #64 Top Free · Games, #67 Top Grossing · Games, #188 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 TD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-td/id1522888447)

Engage in a strategic tower defense experience where you merge and upgrade hero cards to build powerful combinations. Defend your stronghold against an invading army through various game modes, including campaign, PvP battles, and dungeons.

**Highlights:** Merge and upgrade hero cards, Strategic tower defense gameplay, Campaign mode with daily missions, PvP Battle Mode, Dungeon escape system, Card collection and hero diversity, Guild and clan battles

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

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pile of Diamonds | $0.99 | one-time |
| Wood Offer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Patron Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Pack Sale | $2.99 | one-time |
| Scoop of Diamonds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Silver Offer | $4.99 | one-time |
| Heap of Diamonds | $9.99 | one-time |
| VIP Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Gold Offer | $9.99 | one-time |
| Seasonal Battle Pass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pocket of Diamonds | $19.99 | one-time |
| Sapphire Offer | $24.99 | one-time |
| Bucket of Diamonds | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Awesome game
- 👍 Interesting gameplay
- 💡 Unique character design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Login/name input issues
- 🐛 Game crashes/black screens
- 🔋 Excessive ads

**Reported bugs**

- Can't type in name on login screen
- Game crashes on startup
- Matchmaking with AI players instead of real people

**Requested features**

- Add more slots for characters
- Improve online multiplayer experience
- Introduce solo survival mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Chess TD free?

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

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

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 827K ratings, while Chess TD averages 4.7 from 853 ratings.

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

Both Chess.com and Chess TD show ads.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess TD every 6 weeks. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on September 27, 2026 and Chess TD on August 31, 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.*