Chess Time vs Chess Universe
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Online correspondence chess
- Play with friends
- Global player matchmaking
- In-game chat
- Customizable chess sets and themes
- Auto-calculated ELO rating
- PGN export
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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
Chess Universe
Embark on a chess adventure with unique island challenges and rewards. Learn from over 1,000 lessons, play against friends or players worldwide, and master strategies with helpful tools. Unlock new content and customize your experience.
- Play online chess games
- Multiple game modes (Blitz, Bullet, Rapid)
- Play vs Computer Islands with daily challenges
- Over 1,000 chess lessons
- Play chess with friends
- Custom game creation
- Hints, Undo, Game Review, Analysis tools
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NEW MAJOR UPDATE – ISLAND ADVENTURES IN PLAY VS COMPUTER! Your chess adventure just got a massive upgrade! Play vs Computer now takes you beyond standard matches into a world of exploration and rewards. Travel across mysterious islands, face unique Computer challenges, and claim treasure as you master each level. The journey begins on the Starting Positions island: You start every match with the classic chess setup and your full set of 16 pieces. - Defeat opponents to choose rewards from a fresh prize list. - New challengers appear every 24 hours, each bringing new rewards. - Beat all 3 opponents in a cycle for bonus treasure. - Computer difficulty adapts after each respawn to match your skill. From here, more islands await — each with its own twist, challenges, and rewards. Will you unlock them all? MAIN FEATURES PLAY UNLIMITED ONLINE CHESS GAMES Battle players from around the world and climb your country’s leaderboard. MULTIPLE GAME MODES Choose Blitz, Bullet, Rapid, Easy Mode, or explore Play vs Computer Islands at your own pace. PLAY VS COMPUTER ISLANDS – DAILY CHALLENGES Explore themed islands with unique chess challenges. CHESS LESSONS FOR ALL LEVELS From basics to master-level strategies — over 1,000 lessons by top coaches. PLAY CHESS WITH FRIENDS Invite friends and enjoy fun, competitive matches online. CREATE YOUR GAME Use the Create Your Game mode in Play vs Computer to set up custom matches and practice your favorite positions in 9 different difficulty levels. Chess transcends languages — xadrez, ajedrez, satranç, schach, şahmat — but it’s always the ultimate game of strategy. Chess Universe combines beautiful design, fun progression, and powerful learning tools: Hints, Undo, Game Review, Replay, and Analysis. Earn rewards, unlock boards, and level up your style while mastering your skills. It’s your move. Download Chess Universe now and begin your island adventure. VIP Membership Subscription: - Unlock all islands in Play vs Computer Islands, exclusive boards and sets, special effects, VIP avatars and pets, unlimited hints, ad-free play, and 40 gems weekly. - Terms of Use: (standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA)): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ABOUT CHESS UNIVERSE: Created by chess Grandmasters and gaming experts to blend world-class chess with game-like adventure. Rated IGRS 13+ under Indonesia Game Rating System (IGRS) for content suitability in Indonesia. Stay updated: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChessUniverseApp X: https://x.com/chess_universe
Screenshots
Verdict
Chess Time and Chess Universe both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Chess Time's written reviews are positive against 64% of Chess Universe's. Chess Universe's advantage is ratings volume (6K vs 1.7K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Chess Universe sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. 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 Time against 4.7 for Chess Universe. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.7K and 6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Chess Time's written reviews are positive against 64% of Chess Universe's.
Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, Chess Universe every 8 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | Chess Time | Chess Universe |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (1.7K ratings) — better | 4.7 (6K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews — better | 64.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | 6K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 292 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Haptic Apps LLC | Kings of Games, d.o.o. |
Customer experience
Chess Time
Chess Universe
User reviews
Chess Time
From 1.7K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🌍 Cross-platform play
- 📊 Detailed player stats and rankings
- 💬 In-game chat functionality
- 🕰️ Flexible time controls for games
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional glitches and bugs
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 💰 Ads can be intrusive
- 🔒 Lack of robust anti-cheat measures
- 🖥️ Outdated or basic user interface
Chess Universe
From 6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Fun and interactive gameplay
- 💡 Variety of game modes and challenges
- 🚀 Smooth performance and quick matchmaking
- 🎨 Customizable characters and chess boards
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional connection issues and game freezes
- 💰 Excessive in-app purchases and ads
- 🤖 Concerns about AI opponents using engines
- ⏱️ Limited time control options
Bugs and 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
Chess Universe
Reported bugs
4 issues- Incorrect move recognition in some puzzles
- Rating system not accurately reflecting player skill
- Account recovery and password reset issues
- Unexpected app crashes and freezes
Requested features
4 requests- Add more time control options (e.g., 30/60 minutes)
- Implement a report system for suspected cheaters
- Improve the chess academy and puzzle design
- Allow players to save and share game histories
In-app purchases
Chess Time
- Chess Time Premium$1.991 Month
- Chess Time Premium - Annual$17.991 Year
- IOS Chess Time Pro$4.99
Chess Universe
- Weekly VIP Membership$5.997 Days
- Monthly VIP Membership$11.991 Month
- Yearly VIP Membership$59.991 Year
- Change Nickname$0.99
- 10 gems$1.49
- Starter Pack$2.99
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- All Emoji + Ammo$3.99
- Free hints for 20 days$3.99
- Chess Kit 2020$3.99
- Chess Kit 2022$3.99
- 40 gems$3.99
- Remove Ads$4.99
- Unlimited Hints for 20 days$4.99
- Starter Pack$4.99
- Value Pack$5.99
- Chess Kit 2021$5.99
- Survival Kit$6.99
- Remove Ads Forever$8.99
- 135 gems$9.99
- Champion Pack$11.99







