# Chess Time vs Chess Online

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Time at 86% against Chess Online's 35%. Chess Time also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Chess Online's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Online sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Chess Time asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Time holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 1.5K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Chess Time's written reviews are positive against 35% of Chess Online's.

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, Chess Online every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Time | Chess Online |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-online-2-player-games/id1386718098/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 34.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 42 MB | 410 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) | [Turbo Labz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1386718097) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Chess Online

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-online-2-player-games/id1386718098)

Play classic chess games online with friends or strangers worldwide. Improve your skills with lessons, puzzles, and post-game analysis. Features include chat, customizable themes, and weekly challenges.

**Highlights:** Multiplayer online chess, Play against AI with adjustable difficulty, In-game chat and emojis, Personalizable themes and boards, Chess lessons and tutorials, Weekly challenges and leaderboards, Post-game analysis

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Club Membership Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Piggy Bank | $1.99 | one-time |
| 50 Gems Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| 90 Gems Pack | $4.99 | one-time |
| Royal Bundle | $4.99 | one-time |
| 185 Gems Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| 375 Gems Pack | $19.99 | one-time |
| 1100 Gems Pack | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Bundle | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🕰️ Stop cheating me on my time
- 🕰️ Time
- 👍 Love this game!
- 👍 Wonderful
- 👍 Great game!

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Problem
- 🐛 Useless
- 🐛 Robots only
- 🐛 Bugs
- 🐛 Ads

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Incompatible with older devices

**Requested features**

- 15:10 time control game would be good to add!!
- Dark mode option
- Advanced analytics dashboard


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Time free?

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

### Is Chess Online free?

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

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

Chess Time is rated higher. Chess Time averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Chess Online averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Chess Time or Chess Online have ads?

Both Chess Time and Chess Online show ads.

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

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, and Chess Online every 4 weeks. Most recently, Chess Time was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess Online on November 2, 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.*