# Chess.com vs Chess

The clearest difference is rating: Chess.com at 4.8 against Chess's 4.1. Chess.com also leads on ratings volume (827K vs 32) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (83% vs 64%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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 sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 827K ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 83% of Chess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Chess monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.1 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-play-vs-computer/id1527039027/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **827K** | 32 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 445 MB | 178 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Van Kien Bui](https://appshunter.io/developer/1328384575) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · Board, #6 Top Free · Strategy, #7 Top Grossing · Board, #15 Top Grossing · Strategy, #57 Top Free · Games, #64 Top Grossing · Games, #182 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-play-vs-computer/id1527039027)

Practice chess and enhance your strategic thinking with this classic board game app. It offers multiple difficulty levels to play against the computer, a two-player offline mode, and over 1,000 tactical puzzles to solve. Review your games to learn from mistakes and improve your skills.

**Highlights:** Play against computer with 10 difficulty levels, Two-player offline mode, Over 1,000 chess puzzles, Create custom puzzles, Game review and analysis, 2D and 3D board styles

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 10 Hints Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| 50 Hints Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 150 Hints Pack | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Chess free?

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

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

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 827K ratings, while Chess averages 4.1 from 32 ratings.

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

Chess.com shows ads; Chess does not.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess monthly. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on September 24, 2026 and Chess on August 29, 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.*