# Chess.com vs Chess By Post Premium

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.

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.

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.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Chess By Post Premium every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess By Post Premium |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.7 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-by-post-premium/id510356580/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **827K** | 41 |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews | **82.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | #179 |
| Size | 445 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| 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, #7 Top Free · Strategy, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #14 Top Grossing · Strategy, #61 Top Free · Games, #73 Top Grossing · Games, #188 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


### Chess By Post Premium

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-by-post-premium/id510356580)

**Currently charting:** #179 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 27, 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 #179. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*