# Chess.com vs Remote Chess

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess.com at 64% against Remote Chess's 0%. Chess.com also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.8 vs 1.0). Remote Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Chess.com is free to download; Remote Chess costs $0.99 up front. Chess.com sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Remote Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess.com holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 827K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 0% of Remote Chess's.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Remote Chess every 9 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Remote Chess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (827K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-chess/id788602889/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **827K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **64.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 445 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Luigi Fonti](https://appshunter.io/developer/360904185) |

## 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, #8 Top Grossing · Board, #16 Top Grossing · Strategy, #60 Top Free · Games, #75 Top Grossing · Games (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


### Remote Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/remote-chess/id788602889)

Play classic chess against a remote opponent over a network connection. The app synchronizes moves in real-time, ensuring both players see the same board state. Features include automatic move validation and pawn promotion to Queen.

**Highlights:** Remote multiplayer chess, Real-time move synchronization, Automatic move validation, Automatic pawn promotion to Queen, Check alerts, End game functionality

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

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

### Is Remote Chess free?

Remote Chess costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 827K ratings, while Remote Chess averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

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

Chess.com shows ads; Remote Chess does not.

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

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Remote Chess every 9 months. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on September 26, 2026 and Remote Chess on September 26, 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.*