# Chess.com vs Simple chess board

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess.com at weekly against Simple chess board's every 10 months. Chess.com also leads on ratings volume (840K vs 68) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Simple chess board's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Simple chess board sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 840K ratings behind it against 68, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple chess board's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Simple chess board every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Simple chess board |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (840K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.5 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **840K** | 68 |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 457 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Luis Lopez](https://appshunter.io/developer/453216096) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Strategy, #3 Top Free · Board, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #16 Top Grossing · Strategy, #19 Top Free · Games, #69 Top Grossing · Games, #141 Top Free, #172 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


### Simple chess board

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-chess-board/id531158560)

This app provides a digital chessboard with unrestricted piece movement and a configurable chess clock. Save and load board positions, undo/redo moves, and even use checker pieces. It's ideal for analyzing games or setting up custom scenarios.

**Highlights:** Free piece movement, Undo/Redo functionality, Board rotation, Checker piece option, Save/load positions, Configurable chess clock, Tweet current position

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Great for study and practice
- 👍 No restrictions or 'help' functions
- 👍 Allows setting up custom positions
- 👍 Useful for playing through games

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Pieces not bound by rules
- 🤔 Graphics can be distracting/ugly
- 🤔 Aggressive board colors
- 🤔 Clocks take up screen space
- 🤔 Pieces can shift unexpectedly

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard not appearing to enter text/save
- Cannot figure out how to save position
- Pieces shift on their own
- Kings and queens on wrong squares initially
- Save position fails with 'You must insert text' error

**Requested features**

- Add scoresheet functionality
- Export game for analysis
- Move counter
- Portrait view on iPad
- Board expansion to fill screen


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Simple chess board free?

Simple chess board is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess.com or Simple chess board?

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 840K ratings, while Simple chess board averages 4.5 from 68 ratings.

### Do Chess.com or Simple chess board have ads?

Both Chess.com and Simple chess board show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess.com or Simple chess board?

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Simple chess board every 10 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on October 20, 2026 and Simple chess board on October 16, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*