# Chess vs Chess Time

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess at every 5 days against Chess Time's every 10 days. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 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 — 4.7 for Chess against 4.7 for Chess Time. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 86% of Chess Time's.

Chess ships an update every 5 days, Chess Time every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Chess Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-play-and-trainer/id378161776/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K | **1.7K** |
| Positive reviews | **90.5% of reviews** | 86.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 276 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Mastersoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/994180799) | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-learn-play-and-trainer/id378161776)

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive app. Learn step-by-step, play against adaptive AI across 100 difficulty levels, and sharpen your skills with thousands of puzzles. Enjoy offline play and track your progress with an ELO rating.

**Highlights:** 100 difficulty levels, Interactive learning coach, Thousands of chess puzzles, Adaptive AI opponent, ELO rating tracker, Multiple game modes, Offline play

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Pro for 1 month. | $2.99 | per month |
| Buy Chess Pro. | $2.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Ginkgo. 10% Off. | $9.95 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great learning tool
- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 💡 Helpful training mode
- 👍 Challenging at higher levels
- 👍 Customizable board and pieces

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔋 Battery drain issues
- 🔍 Unclear move suggestions
- 🤖 Computer plays too strong at times

**Reported bugs**

- Pawn disappearing issue when castling
- Ratings not updating properly after games
- Crashes on certain iOS versions

**Requested features**

- More detailed explanations for suggested moves
- Option to play against other users online
- Ability to set up custom board positions
- Slower computer move speeds for beginners


### Chess Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152)

Engage in online chess matches with friends or players worldwide. This app supports correspondence play with extended move times and offers features like in-game chat and customizable themes. Track your progress with an auto-calculated ELO rating.

**Highlights:** Online correspondence chess, Play with friends, Global player matchmaking, In-game chat, Customizable chess sets and themes, Auto-calculated ELO rating, PGN export

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Time Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Chess Time Premium - Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| IOS Chess Time Pro | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🌍 Cross-platform play
- 📊 Detailed player stats and rankings
- 💬 In-game chat functionality
- 🕰️ Flexible time controls for games

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive
- 🔒 Lack of robust anti-cheat measures
- 🖥️ Outdated or basic user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Game incorrectly declaring draws on checkmate
- Inability to castle or move pieces in certain situations
- Notification issues across different devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to invite friends to watch ongoing games
- Option to disable move analysis for rated games
- Faster move processing and real-time gameplay
- More diverse chess piece and board designs
- In-app purchase to remove ads permanently


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

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

### Is Chess Time free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Chess Time?

Chess Time is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Chess Time averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do Chess or Chess Time have ads?

Both Chess and Chess Time show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Chess Time?

Chess ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Time every 10 days. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 20, 2026 and Chess Time on October 16, 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.*