Comparison

SparkChess Pro vs Chess Time

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SparkChess Pro

This ancient strategy game offers a fun and accessible experience for all skill levels. Practice against the computer, challenge friends online, or learn with interactive lessons and puzzles. Features include various board styles, a virtual coach, and progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Practice against computer or friends
  • Interactive lessons and puzzles
  • Multiple board styles (2D, 3D, fantasy)
  • Virtual Chess Coach
  • Multiplayer progress tracking
  • Save and replay games
Features
Read full description

SparkChess is the only chess game that puts fun first. With a choice of boards, computer opponents and online play, it delivers a first-class experience that is as accessible to experts as it is to beginners, kids and anyone else who wants to discover how entertaining this ancient strategy game really is. The chess game that everyone can enjoy! Too many chess apps are impossible for anyone but the experts and masters. The real test of a truly intelligent chess game isn’t how hard it is to beat, but how well it can adapt to players of all skill levels. That’s exactly what makes the award-winning SparkChess stand out. Whether you’re brand new to the chess board, looking to improve your game, to teach your kids to play, or are ready to take it to the next challenging level, everyone can find the perfect balance in SparkChess. FEATURES: * Practice chess against the computer or challenge your friends in multiplayer. * A simple user interface that makes it easy to set up and play games. * Choose from different boards: 2D, 3D and a stunning fantasy chess set. * Play casual, quick or expert games, depending on your level. * Learn chess with over 30 interactive lessons. * Study famous historcal games. * Test your skills with over 70 chess puzzles. * Learn and practice common openings and their variations (over 100 in total). * A Virtual Chess Coach explains the consequences of your moves. * The only chess game that appeals to beginners and experts alike. * Track your multiplayer progress with statistics. * Create and join teams. * Save and replay your games. * Import/Export games in PGN format. * Watch and comment on live multiplayer games. * Child-safe design, with built-in anti-abuse measures built-in. * Edit the board. * Large and friendly community of chess lovers from all over the world. Young or old, beginner or advanced, SparkChess gives you the extra edge to become a better chess player while having fun! REVIEWS “Your chess board and pieces are the best by far (compared to any other program, including Fritz 12).” “SparkChess is a superbly presented and polished program. I think you have achieved your aim of making chess fun, accessible and entertaining for a wide audience.” “I love the game and play it regularly - great work on the game” “SparkChess provides deep, intelligent gameplay… [Its] multiplayer offerings are just as impressive.” ~ MaximumPC.com, app of the week.

About

Chess Time

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
Read full description

Free online chess - Invite your friends or play against anyone in the world. Chess Time is a full featured online correspondence chess app allowing a player up to multiple days to make a move. Create and play multiple at length chess games. Chess Time features: A global audience of real chess players. Invite friends to play online games. In-game chat. -- Play chess against friends that have other mobile devices. Multiple Chess sets and themes. Play un-rated games to train without affecting your score. -- Auto-calculated ELO chess rating. Export completed games as PGN. Chess Time will send a notification for each move and a reminder for you to move. We recommend enabling notifications. ——————————— -- SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE --- PREMIUM Membership Subscription Options: - Monthly Premium Subscription - Yearly Premium Subscription Premium Membership features: * No Ads * 75 Simultaneous Active Games — Additional 25! * Compete with Premium Members * Exclusive Premium Leaderboard * Daily PGN Emails — Completed game PGNs are emailed daily! Perfect for players studying their games. — TERMS & DETAILS — Chess Time Premium features are only guaranteed on up-to-date iOS devices. Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged the same amount for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a Free Trial, if offered, is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Prices may vary by location. Terms of Use: http://chesstimeapp.com/Terms-and-Conditions.php Privacy Policy: http://chesstimeapp.com/Privacy-Policy.php

Screenshots

SparkChess Pro4 screens
Chess Time4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chess Time at Free against SparkChess Pro's $24.99. Chess Time also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 61%). SparkChess Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chess Time is free to download; SparkChess Pro costs $24.99 up front. Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. SparkChess Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Time holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Time has 1.7K ratings behind it against 42, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of SparkChess Pro's written reviews are positive against 86% of Chess Time's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SparkChess Pro ships an update every 4 months, Chess Time every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
SparkChess Pro versus Chess Time: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSparkChess ProChess Time
Price$24.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (42 ratings)4.7 (1.7K ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.9% of reviews86.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings421.7K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB42 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMedia Division SRLHaptic Apps LLC

Customer experience

SparkChess Pro

All ratings42 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral7.1%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive60.9%
Neutral13.0%
Negative26.1%

Chess Time

All ratings1,659 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.1%
Written reviews260 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative8.5%

Bugs and requests

SparkChess Pro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Chess Time

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

None

SparkChess Pro

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Chess Time

Subscriptions2
  • Chess Time Premium$1.991 Month
  • Chess Time Premium - Annual$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • IOS Chess Time Pro$4.99

Questions

Is SparkChess Pro free?
SparkChess Pro costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Time free?
Chess Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SparkChess Pro or Chess Time?
Chess Time is rated higher. SparkChess Pro averages 4.4 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while Chess Time averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.
Do SparkChess Pro or Chess Time have ads?
Chess Time shows ads; SparkChess Pro does not.
Which is updated more often, SparkChess Pro or Chess Time?
SparkChess Pro ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Time every 10 days. Most recently, SparkChess Pro was updated on September 23, 2026 and Chess Time on September 23, 2026.

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