# Chess.com vs Chess

The clearest difference is price: Chess.com at Free against Chess's $3.99. Chess.com also leads on ratings volume (827K vs 116) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). Chess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (92% vs 64%). On rating, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Chess.com is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chess.com against 4.7 for Chess. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 827K ratings behind it against 116, 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 92% of Chess's.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Chess fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.7 (116 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **827K** | 116 |
| Positive reviews | 63.9% of reviews | **92.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 445 MB | 237 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

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

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Free · Board, #6 Top Free · Strategy, #7 Top Grossing · Board, #17 Top Grossing · Strategy, #58 Top Free · Games, #67 Top Grossing · Games, #189 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545)

Manage and study chess databases and games in PGN format with advanced analysis tools. Supports game creation, modification, and import from various sources. Includes engine analysis, opening book management, and puzzle training.

**Highlights:** PGN database and game management, Create, modify, and import games, Advanced engine analysis with Stockfish, Opening book and ChessBase support, Chess 960 (Fischer Random) support, Diagram recognition for PGN conversion, Puzzle training and online play

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $8.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Powerful chess database features
- 👍 Comprehensive analysis tools
- 👍 Excellent PGN management
- 👍 Great value for price
- 👍 Frequent updates and improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Some users find it confusing
- 🐛 Missing dark mode

**Reported bugs**

- Problem saving updated game data
- Engine stopped working after 30 seconds
- App crashes when adding annotations without hitting 'edit mode' first
- Crash opening .pgn in landscape mode
- Crashes when selecting a cell with 0 games associated

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Add board flip button
- Improve interface for screen reader users
- Add private game feature with code
- Add computer whole game analysis with annotations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess.com or Chess?

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 827K ratings, while Chess averages 4.7 from 116 ratings.

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

Chess.com shows ads; Chess does not.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Chess fortnightly. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on September 24, 2026 and Chess on September 22, 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.*