# Chess.com vs Lite lichess

The clearest difference is rating: Chess.com at 4.8 against Lite lichess's 4.3. Chess.com also leads on ratings volume (885K vs 38) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Lite lichess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Lite lichess sells 2 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 885K ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 81% of Lite lichess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Lite lichess every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Lite lichess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (885K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.3 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lite-lichess-online-chess/id1586503086/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **885K** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **80.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 466 MB | 30 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) | [Oleg Soloviev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1263912907) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Board, #1 Top Free · Strategy, #7 Top Free · Games, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #22 Top Grossing · Strategy, #39 Top Free, #84 Top Grossing · Games, #181 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Engage in chess with millions globally through online matches, tournaments, and practice modes. Enhance your skills with over a million puzzles, expert lessons, and AI opponents. Explore various chess variants and track your progress with detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer chess, Over 1 million chess puzzles, Hundreds of chess lessons, AI opponents with adjustable difficulty, Tournament participation, Chess variant gameplay, Game analysis and statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| 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 | $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


### Lite lichess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lite-lichess-online-chess/id1586503086)

Engage in classic chess matches, solve thousands of puzzles, and study historical games from renowned players. This app offers both online and offline play with flexible settings and supports multiple languages.

**Highlights:** Classic chess gameplay, 22,833 chess puzzles, 113,090 historical games, Online and offline play, Flexible settings, Multiple language support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 5 tips | $2.99 | one-time |
| 1 coffee | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Lite lichess free?

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

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

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 885K ratings, while Lite lichess averages 4.3 from 38 ratings.

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

Chess.com shows ads; Lite lichess does not.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Lite lichess every 2 weeks. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on November 13, 2026 and Lite lichess on November 11, 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.*