# SocialChess vs Chess Time

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Time at none against SocialChess's 3. SocialChess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (7.3K vs 1.7K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SocialChess sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Chess Time asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for SocialChess against 4.7 for Chess Time. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.3K and 1.7K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of SocialChess's written reviews are positive against 86% of Chess Time's.

SocialChess ships an update weekly, Chess Time every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SocialChess | Chess Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (7.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socialchess-online-chess/id442239737/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.3K** | 1.7K |
| Positive reviews | 82.1% of reviews | **86.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 106 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Woodchop Software LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/442239740) | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) |

## What reviewers say

### SocialChess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/socialchess-online-chess/id442239737)

Play chess online with friends or random opponents, with options for fast-paced live games or relaxed daily matches. Improve your skills with game reviews, insights, and strategy tools. Enjoy a clean, ad-free experience with social features like chat and profiles.

**Highlights:** Live and daily chess games, Play with friends via invite link, Random opponent matching, Game reviews and insights, Chess960 and premoves, Chat and group chat, Cross-device syncing

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Membership | $14.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Membership | $14.99 | one-time |
| 1 Year Gift Membership | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app for playing chess
- 👍 Clean, user-friendly interface
- 👍 Large player base and easy to find opponents
- 👍 Ability to play slow or fast games
- 👍 No ads or distractions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔋 Potential battery drain issues
- 💰 Subscription fees for some features
- 🤖 Concerns about cheating and bots
- 🤬 Issues with toxic/abusive players

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing or crashing during gameplay
- Inaccurate game statistics and ratings
- Delayed or unresponsive move registrations
- Inability to cancel or delete games

**Requested features**

- Add chess analysis and training tools
- Implement anti-cheat measures
- Improve game history and statistics tracking
- Allow customization of board and piece designs
- Add tournament and team play modes


### 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:** none

**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 SocialChess free?

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

### Is Chess Time free?

Chess Time is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Chess Time is rated higher. SocialChess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.3K ratings, while Chess Time averages 4.7 from 1.7K ratings.

### Do SocialChess or Chess Time have ads?

Chess Time shows ads; SocialChess does not.

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

SocialChess ships an update weekly, and Chess Time every 10 days. Most recently, SocialChess was updated on November 8, 2026 and Chess Time on November 1, 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.*