# Chess.com vs Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles

The clearest difference is price: Chess.com at Free against Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles's $0.99. Chess.com also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (882K vs 41). Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess.com is free to download; Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles costs $0.99 up front. Chess.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles 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 Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 882K ratings behind it against 41, 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 92% of Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles's.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (882K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews) | **[4.9 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-in-1-chess-puzzles/id368403230/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **882K** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **91.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 466 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Gano Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/333237652) |

## 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, #6 Top Free · Games, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #20 Top Grossing · Strategy, #40 Top Free, #83 Top Grossing · Games, #180 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


### Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mate-in-1-chess-puzzles/id368403230)

This app offers over 180 interactive chess puzzles focused on delivering checkmate in a single move. It's designed for both beginners and experienced players looking to sharpen their tactical skills. Enjoy a variety of classical puzzles with customizable piece sets and color schemes.

**Highlights:** Over 180 chess puzzles, Checkmate in 1 move challenges, Customizable piece sets and color schemes, Timing clock and puzzle solving times, Leaderboards for social comparison, Facebook integration

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for beginners
- 📈 Improves chess game
- 💡 Helps recognize patterns
- 🧠 Good for mental exercise
- 📱 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🥱 Too easy for advanced players
- 🔄 Repetitive puzzles
- ⏳ Puzzles load slowly
- 📱 Limited puzzle count
- 📱 Interface can be clumsy

**Reported bugs**

- App hangs and puzzles don't load
- App freezes up
- Issues after puzzle 50

**Requested features**

- Mode to answer in notation
- More setups/puzzles
- Expert stage with advanced moves
- Ability to turn iPad sideways
- Dark mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles free?

Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess.com or Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles?

Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 882K ratings, while Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles averages 4.9 from 41 ratings.

### Do Chess.com or Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles have ads?

Chess.com shows ads; Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess.com or Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles?

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles every 7 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on November 11, 2026 and Mate in 1 Chess Puzzles on November 10, 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.*