Comparison

Chess Time vs Chess Deluxe

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

Head to head
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

About

Chess Deluxe

Enjoy a classic chess experience with a beautiful interface and adaptive AI. Play against smart opponents, challenge friends locally or online, and track your progress with detailed game history. This app offers a distraction-free environment for pure chess enjoyment across multiple devices.

Highlights
  • Smart AI opponents (Easy, Medium, Hard)
  • Local multiplayer (same device)
  • Online matches via Game Center
  • Unlimited undo/redo
  • Move history in Standard Algebraic Notation
  • Light and dark themes
  • iCloud settings sync
Features
Read full description

Experience the timeless game of chess with beautiful design and intelligent gameplay. Chess Deluxe brings the classic strategy game to life with a modern, elegant interface and responsive AI that adapts to your skill level. Whether you're learning your first moves or honing your tactics, enjoy chess exactly how you want to play it - with no ads, no distractions, just pure chess. Play Your Way: - Smart AI opponents with Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulties that provide quick, challenging gameplay - Local multiplayer for face-to-face games on the same device - Game Center integration for online matches with friends anywhere - Flexible move controls with unlimited undo/redo and move highlighting - Complete game tracking with move history in Standard Algebraic Notation Beautiful & Intuitive: - Clean, distraction-free interface designed for pure chess enjoyment - Smooth animations and satisfying piece movement - Board rotation for comfortable two-player games - Captured pieces display and game timer with customisable durations - Light and dark themes to match your preference - Crisp sounds that enhance gameplay without interruption Seamlessly Connected: - Settings sync across all your devices with iCloud - Navigate through your game history by selecting any completed move - No advertisements to interrupt your focus - Universal purchase includes iOS, iPadOS, and macOS versions Chess Deluxe is crafted for chess lovers who appreciate thoughtful design and straightforward gameplay. From quick casual games to focused strategy sessions, experience chess the way it should be - simple, beautiful, and always ready when you are.

Screenshots

Chess Time4 screens
Chess Deluxe4 screens

Verdict

The call

Chess Time and Chess Deluxe both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of Chess Time's written reviews are positive against 33% of Chess Deluxe's. Chess Time also leads on price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). Chess Deluxe's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On rating, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chess Time is free to download; Chess Deluxe costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Time holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Time has 1.7K ratings behind it against 190, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Chess Time's written reviews are positive against 33% of Chess Deluxe's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, Chess Deluxe every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Chess Time versus Chess Deluxe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess TimeChess Deluxe
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.7 (1.7K ratings) — better4.6 (190 ratings)
Positive reviews86.2% of reviews — better32.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1.7K — better190
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.6 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB18 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperHaptic Apps LLCNicholas Cooke

Customer experience

Chess Time

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

Chess Deluxe

All ratings188 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive32.7%
Neutral7.3%
Negative60.0%

User reviews

Chess Time

From 1.7K App Store ratings

What 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 Deluxe

From 190 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and clean interface
  • 👍 Nice and simple to use
  • 👍 Great Chess program
  • 👍 Fun Chess app
  • 👍 Good basic version of a chess app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Computer difficulty inconsistent
  • 🐛 Computer too easy or too hard
  • 🐛 App crashes or doesn't work
  • 🐛 Poor computer competition
  • 🐛 Game rules not implemented correctly

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 Deluxe

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • Computer won't let you win
  • Computer moves king to white king
  • Game says won when losing
  • All pieces are black
  • Cannot castle king and rook
Show 23 more
  • Hard version is easy to beat
  • Movements don't feel good
  • Sound isn't good
  • Cannot play online without crashing
  • No way to start a game
  • No play button
  • Unable to use program
  • Doesn't work on iPad
  • Doesn't seem to work on IOS 9
  • Unable to go past add player name screen
  • Game ends with incorrect checkmate
  • Rook unable to move to corner piece
  • Check counted as checkmate
  • Stalemate called incorrectly
  • Computer castles illegally
  • Computer throws pieces away
  • Internet mode doesn't work
  • Cannot find users online
  • King turns into opponent's queen
  • Valid moves blocked
  • Cannot play online without redoing moves
  • Castling doesn't work
  • Cannot resign or remove game

Requested features

8 requests
  • How to record a game
  • Intermediate difficulty level
  • Option to turn off timer
  • See board labels (g column cut off)
  • Board labels visible with pieces
Show 3 more
  • Cross-platform compatibility (iPhone/Mac)
  • Sound effects for piece movements
  • Online play beyond Wi-Fi proximity

In-app purchases

None

Chess Time

No in-app purchases

None

Chess Deluxe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Time free?
Chess Time is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Deluxe free?
Chess Deluxe costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess Time or Chess Deluxe?
Chess Time is rated higher. Chess Time averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Chess Deluxe averages 4.6 from 190 ratings.
Do Chess Time or Chess Deluxe have ads?
Chess Time shows ads; Chess Deluxe does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Time or Chess Deluxe?
Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, and Chess Deluxe every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Time was updated on October 30, 2026 and Chess Deluxe on November 1, 2026.

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