# Chess.com vs Chess By Post

The clearest difference is rating: Chess.com at 4.8 against Chess By Post's 4.3. Chess.com also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (827K vs 255). Chess By Post's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and review sentiment (81% vs 64%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Chess By Post asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 827K ratings behind it against 255, 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 Chess By Post'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 By Post every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess By Post |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.3 (255 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-by-post/id509928358/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **827K** | 255 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **80.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 445 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Games By Post LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/449504484) |

## 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, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #20 Top Grossing · Strategy, #59 Top Free · Games, #86 Top Grossing · Games (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 By Post

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-by-post/id509928358)

Engage in correspondence chess with others worldwide. Challenge friends or compete in ranked matches against similarly skilled players. The app offers automatic notifications for pending moves and tracks your progress with an Elo rating system.

**Highlights:** Correspondence chess, Ranked matches, Skill-based matchmaking, Chess puzzles, End game analysis, Move history explorer, Local hand-off games

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Helpful planning mode
- 🌐 Cross-platform compatibility
- ⏱️ Leisurely pace of play

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Long wait times between moves
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🤖 Concerns about cheating/engine use
- 🔇 Lack of notifications/push updates
- 📊 Inaccurate/inflated ranking system

**Reported bugs**

- Moves not registering correctly
- Game freezes/crashes
- Notification issues
- Rating/scoring problems

**Requested features**

- Shorter move time limits
- Friends/social features
- Ability to report/block abusive players
- Board orientation/view options
- Customizable game settings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Chess By Post free?

Chess By Post is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 827K ratings, while Chess By Post averages 4.3 from 255 ratings.

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

Both Chess.com and Chess By Post show ads.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess By Post every 6 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on September 26, 2026 and Chess By Post on September 25, 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.*