Comparison

Chess.com vs Chess By Post Premium

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chess.com

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
Read full description

Play chess lessons online with over 265 million players from around the world! Chess is known as the best strategy board game in the world! Enjoy unlimited 3D offline pocket chess games and improve your chess rating with 500,000+ puzzles, more than 20 million chess games a day, lessons, and over 100 powerful bot opponents. Unlock your inner chess master today! PLAY CHESS ONLINE: - 2 Player online chess mode is entirely free to enjoy with your friends. - Join tournaments with players online or friends and become a master. - Play games in real-time from one minute per game to 30 minutes or longer with friends. - Review your strategy and game lessons and lay out daily correspondence in online chess. - Play exciting chess variants in our app: chess960 (Fischer-Random), blitz chess, puzzle rush, bullet chess, puzzle battle, or blindfold. CHESS PUZZLES: - Enjoy 500,000 + unique puzzles. - Rated mode automatically adjusts to your skill level to help you improve. - Race the clock with a timer to beat your high score in Puzzle Rush. - Practice puzzles with specific themes in this strategy board game (checkmate in 1, in 2, in 3, blindfold, endgames, fork, skewer, sacrifice, timer, etc.) CHESS LESSONS: - Hundreds of quality chess lessons and online videos made by masters (Learn and practice your skills with chess problems) - Interactive puzzles tutorials with tips and game recommendations. - Learn all the chess rules and strategies in a step-by-step lesson plan (opening, endgame...) CHESS COACHING: - Learn from helpful and immersive visual chess coach lessons. - Review your games with the coach and learn the strategy of the board game for every move. - Play games with the coach, who will guide you through the fundamentals move by move and provide helpful hints as you play. PLAY CHESS ONLINE AGAINST THE COMPUTER: - Choose the level of computer opponent you want to play and set a timer. - Analyze your chess games offline and learn to see where you went wrong and how you can improve. CHESS COMMUNITY: - Join a community of more than 200M online chess players. Find friends! - More than 20M games played each day. - Compete to get your own rating and try to join the best player online chess leaderboards against other players. - Watch the most popular superstars: Hikaru, GothamChess, or Magnus! ... and MUCH MORE: - Play chess games offline against the computer and the clock with a timer. - Articles by the best coaches and masters. - Explore openings like Queen´s Gambit or Sicilian Defense. - Challenge and play with your friends in an online chess game. - Choose from 20+ board themes and 3D pieces. - Get in-depth performance stats about your games, puzzles, and lessons. Playing pocket chess online has never been so easy! Chess.com is the place to play chess games online with your friends and other players! Share your suggestions and comments. Our support team is happy to help you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! ABOUT CHESS.COM: Chess.com was created by chess players and people who love chess! Team: http://www.chess.com/about

About

Chess By Post Premium

Engage in correspondence chess with friends or random opponents. Improve your skills with rated matches, chess puzzles, and detailed game analysis. Enjoy features like push notifications, head-to-head stats, and an interactive move history explorer.

Highlights
  • Correspondence chess
  • Rated matches
  • Chess puzzles
  • Skill-based matchmaking
  • Game analysis
  • Move history explorer
  • Local hand-off games
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

*** Note there is also a free version of Chess By Post that is ad-supported. This paid version has no advertisements *** Play correspondence chess with real people! Challenge your friends to friendly games or play ranked matches against random opponents of similar skill levels. Play as many simultaneous games as your want! Automatic push notifications will let you know when you have moves waiting! Improve your ranking by playing ranked games against comparable opponents. Skill ranking updates using the classic Elo rating system to adjust your rank when you win or lose. A leader board view shows you how you compare to the top players. Chess By Post is perfect for players of all skill levels because your matched opponent's skill level will be adapted based on your own skill level. Create a local hand-off game and play your friend by passing the phone back and forth. Play against a computer opponent that adjusts difficulty to match your skill level. Improve your skills by playing a practically endless set of rated chess puzzles. Features: --------- -Tracks your skill level over time -Matches you with similar skilled opponents -Practice chess puzzles to improve your game -End game analysis shows you the critical mistakes made by each player -Head to head stats -Move History Statistics - Explore the moves of every game you ever played with an interactive board explorer -Freely move pieces to plan strategies -Take notes on games to remember strategies -In-game chat message board -In-game move histories for easy review -Ratings leader board -Local hand-off games can be played offline -Play games against a computer opponent with varied skill levels

Screenshots

Chess.com4 screens
Chess By Post Premium4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chess.com at Free against Chess By Post Premium's $2.99. Chess.com also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (827K vs 41). Chess By Post Premium's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chess.com is free to download; Chess By Post Premium costs $2.99 up front. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Chess By Post Premium asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chess.com against 4.7 for Chess By Post Premium. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 827K 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 83% of Chess By Post Premium's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Chess By Post Premium every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Chess.com versus Chess By Post Premium: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess.comChess By Post Premium
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.8 (827K ratings) — better4.7 (41 ratings)
Positive reviews64.0% of reviews82.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings827K — better41
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#5 — better#137
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size445 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChess.comGames By Post LLC

Customer experience

Chess.com

All ratings827,408 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews8,473 reviews
Positive64.0%
Neutral5.9%
Negative30.1%

Chess By Post Premium

All ratings41 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive82.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative11.1%

User reviews

Chess.com

From 827K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Chess By Post Premium

From 41 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and easy to navigate
  • 👍 Clean, no-frills design
  • 👍 Good for casual games
  • 👍 Cross-platform compatibility
  • 👍 User-friendly interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Games don't update quickly
  • 🐛 Inability to start rated games against friends
  • 🐛 Chat deletes apostrophes
  • 🐛 Rating system inflated compared to official ratings
  • 🐛 Post-game analysis may miss obvious blunders

Bugs and requests

Chess.com

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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 Premium

Reported bugs

16 issues
  • Can't log in after phone update
  • Games don't update for days
  • Chat deletes apostrophes
  • Post-game analysis misses obvious blunders
  • Windows version exports non-English PGN
Show 11 more
  • Material advantage display is inconsistent
  • Puzzle ratings don't sync between devices
  • Accidental move commits due to button placement
  • Notifications stopped coming (iPhone SE, iOS 13.6)
  • No notification after opponent's move (banner, sticker, sound)
  • No notification when it's opponent's turn
  • App crashes since iOS 7
  • Stalemate rule is automatic, not player's choice
  • No way to report or block offensive players
  • No way to leave feedback about other players
  • Cheaters are increasing, no reporting option

Requested features

16 requests
  • Option to choose time controls (1-5 days per move)
  • Display next position when it's my turn
  • View opponent's completed games
  • Search games by ECO
  • Start rated games against friends
Show 11 more
  • Swipe left to go to the next game
  • Block function for offensive players
  • Option to disable vibrate when another player makes a move on a different game
  • Ability to view games of better players
  • More customization for board and pieces
  • Ability to swipe left and right between other open games
  • Make app universal for iPad
  • Add email functionality for PGN files
  • Allow players to choose sides when rematching
  • More board and piece customization options
  • Ability to save lines tried on the demonstration board

In-app purchases

12 purchases

Chess.com

Subscriptions12
  • Gold Membership7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Gold Membership7 Days trial$6.991 Month
  • Platinum Membership7 Days trial$6.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • Platinum Membership7 Days trial$10.991 Month
  • Diamond Membership7 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Diamond Membership7 Days trial$16.991 Month
  • Gold Membership7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Platinum Membership7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Gold Membership7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Platinum Membership7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • Diamond Membership7 Days trial$99.991 Year
  • Diamond Membership7 Days trial$119.991 Year
None

Chess By Post Premium

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess.com free?
Chess.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess By Post Premium free?
Chess By Post Premium costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess.com or Chess By Post Premium?
Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 827K ratings, while Chess By Post Premium averages 4.7 from 41 ratings.
Do Chess.com or Chess By Post Premium have ads?
Chess.com shows ads; Chess By Post Premium does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess.com or Chess By Post Premium?
Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess By Post Premium every 5 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on September 26, 2026 and Chess By Post Premium on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Chess.com or Chess By Post Premium?
Chess.com currently peaks at #5 in the App Store charts, and Chess By Post Premium at #137. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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