# Chess.com vs Chess Puzzles & Tactics

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Chess.com at 882K against Chess Puzzles & Tactics's 490. Chess.com also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). Chess Puzzles & Tactics's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Chess Puzzles & Tactics 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 882K ratings behind it against 490, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 76% of Chess Puzzles & Tactics's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess Puzzles & Tactics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (882K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.5 (490 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **882K** | 490 |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **76.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 466 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Sajed Nahian](https://appshunter.io/developer/1494597866) |

## 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, #4 Top Grossing · Board, #6 Top Free · Games, #13 Top Grossing · Strategy, #53 Top Grossing · Games, #55 Top Free, #145 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Engage in chess with millions globally through online matches, tournaments, and lessons. Improve your skills with over a million puzzles, powerful bot opponents, and detailed game analysis. Explore various chess variants and track your progress with in-depth statistics.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer chess, Over 1 million chess puzzles, Hundreds of chess lessons, Play against AI opponents, Chess variant modes, Game analysis tools, Community leaderboards

**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


### Chess Puzzles & Tactics

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles-and-tactics/id6480381614)

Improve your chess skills with an extensive library of puzzles that adapt to your level. Analyze positions with a powerful engine and train specific tactics and endgames. Play offline and track your progress with a personalized Elo rating.

**Highlights:** Unlimited free chess puzzles, Adaptive difficulty with puzzle Elo, Offline play, Stockfish engine analysis, 56 puzzle themes, Review missed puzzles, Customizable board themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ad-Free Forever | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🆓 Free to use, no ads
- ♾️ Seemingly endless puzzles
- 🧠 Great for chess improvement
- 👍 Simple and easy to use interface
- 🎯 Puzzles tailored to skill level

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent bugs and glitches
- 🔄 Progress resets (ELO, history)
- ⚠️ Login issues (Apple/Google)
- ⏳ Puzzles take a long time to load
- 🥶 Freezes and crashes

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to login
- Application resets to starting value (1000elo)
- History/review chapters remain unlocked
- In-application feedback not functioning
- Rating feature broke

**Requested features**

- Option to mute sounds
- Ability to disable audio
- Allow loading custom puzzle sets
- Better interface and cable


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Chess Puzzles & Tactics free?

Chess Puzzles & Tactics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess.com or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 882K ratings, while Chess Puzzles & Tactics averages 4.5 from 490 ratings.

### Do Chess.com or Chess Puzzles & Tactics have ads?

Both Chess.com and Chess Puzzles & Tactics show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess.com or Chess Puzzles & Tactics?

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess Puzzles & Tactics weekly. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on November 11, 2026 and Chess Puzzles & Tactics on November 8, 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.*