# Chess.com vs Tower Clock

The clearest difference is price: Chess.com at Free against Tower Clock's $1.99. Chess.com also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.0) and update cadence (weekly vs every 23 months). Tower Clock's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Chess.com is free to download; Tower Clock costs $1.99 up front. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Tower Clock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 833K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Tower Clock every 23 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Tower Clock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (833K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tower-clock/id1620700280/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **833K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#6** | — |
| Size | 445 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Adam Kopec](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484248382) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #6 Top Free · Board, #7 Top Free · Strategy, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #15 Top Grossing · Strategy, #51 Top Free · Games, #74 Top Grossing · Games, #200 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


### Tower Clock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tower-clock/id1620700280)

A digital companion for physical brick-stacking games, this app introduces new rules and time-based challenges. Compete against friends and the clock in a fun, interactive way.

**Highlights:** Companion app for physical games, New game rules, Timed challenges, Multiplayer support, Stacking gameplay

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Tower Clock free?

Tower Clock costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 833K ratings, while Tower Clock averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Chess.com shows ads; Tower Clock does not.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Tower Clock every 23 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on October 2, 2026 and Tower Clock on September 15, 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.*