# Chess.com vs Alias

The clearest difference is chart position: Chess.com at #1 against Alias's unranked. Alias's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 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 Alias sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Alias |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (871K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **871K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 456 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Damian Adrian Kowalczyk](https://appshunter.io/developer/6811620783) |

## 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, #5 Top Free · Games, #6 Top Grossing · Board, #15 Top Grossing · Strategy, #49 Top Free, #65 Top Grossing · Games, #160 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


### Alias

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alias-party-word-guessing/id6816909510)

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Alias free?

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

### Do Chess.com or Alias have ads?

Both Chess.com and Alias show ads.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Alias weekly. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on November 5, 2026 and Alias on October 29, 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.*