SimpleChess vs The Chess Clock App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SimpleChess
Engage in a straightforward and rapid chess experience. Compete globally, customize your board and pieces, and track your ELO ranking. Enhance your skills with tactical training and puzzle battles.
- Online multiplayer chess
- Customizable chessboards and pieces
- Tactical training modules
- Puzzle battles
- ELO ranking tracking
- Chess960 variant
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Play chess online - it's that simple! Simple, practical and fast, SimpleChess makes playing chess as easy as child's play! • It's free! • Compete against opponents from all over the world • Customize your chessboard, with 20 piece types and 40 chessboard designs • 10 different themes (5 dark, 5 light) • Choose your game rating: fast, blitz, bullet, or create the rating of your choice • Track your progress with your ELO ranking • Make progress with our tactical training modules • Challenge other players to a puzzle battle • Play Chess960, a variant of the chess game • Earn XP experience points with every game Become a member and enjoy additional features: • Analyze your games by computer • Find your friends easily • And enjoy full access to our training modules!
The Chess Clock App
This app provides a customizable timer for various board games, including chess and shogi. It supports multiple time control modes like Sudden Death, Fischer, Byoyomi, and Handicap, allowing for individual player settings. Ideal for 2-4 player matches.
- Multiple time control modes
- Fischer Mode support
- Byoyomi Mode support
- Sudden Death Mode support
- Handicap time control
- Customizable per-player settings
- Supports 2-4 player games
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The Chess Clock is a simple yet powerful game timer app, designed not only for two-player matches like shogi and chess, but also for 3–4 player games and various board game scenarios. Supported time control modes: - Sudden Death A classic format where the game ends when a player's time runs out. Each player’s initial time can be customized individually. - Fischer Mode A format where a fixed amount of time (e.g., +10 seconds) is added after each move. Both initial time and increment time can be set per player. - Byoyomi Mode After a player's main time runs out, each move must be played within a fixed number of seconds (e.g., 30 seconds). The byoyomi time and when it starts can be customized for each match. - Handicap Time Control Customize different time settings for each player to create a balanced or challenging match using any of the above formats. The app is perfect for serious chess and shogi matches, as well as for multiplayer board games with 3–4 players. With flexible per-player settings, it adapts to a wide range of game styles and situations. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: The Chess Clock App at 4.6 against SimpleChess's 4.0. The Chess Clock App also leads on ratings volume (31 vs 8). SimpleChess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 36 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SimpleChess sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and The Chess Clock App sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
The Chess Clock App holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 31 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of SimpleChess's written reviews are positive against 33% of The Chess Clock App's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
SimpleChess ships an update every 8 days, The Chess Clock App every 36 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SimpleChess | The Chess Clock App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.0 (8 ratings) | 4.6 (31 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 52.7% of reviews — better | 33.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 31 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days — better | Every 36 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 82 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Europe Echecs | Vida Apps Incorporated |
Customer experience
SimpleChess
The Chess Clock App
In-app purchases
SimpleChess
- Essential Pack (Monthly plan)$2.991 Month
- Premium Pack (Monthly plan)$3.991 Month
- Essential Pack (Annual Plan)$24.991 Year
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- Premium Pack (Annual Plan)$34.991 Year
- 1 month extend$0.99
- 3 months extend$1.99
- 6 month extend$3.99
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- 1 year extend$5.99
The Chess Clock App
- Premium Plan - 1 Month1 Month trial$2.991 Month
- Premium Plan - 1 Year1 Month trial$29.991 Year
Questions
Is SimpleChess free?
Is The Chess Clock App free?
Which has better reviews, SimpleChess or The Chess Clock App?
Do SimpleChess or The Chess Clock App have ads?
Which is updated more often, SimpleChess or The Chess Clock App?
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