# Chess Time vs Chess Deluxe

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Time | Chess Deluxe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** | [4.6 (190 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-deluxe/id500880061/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 190 |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 32.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Paid |
| Size | 42 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) | [Nicholas Cooke](https://appshunter.io/developer/363977390) |

## 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 Deluxe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-deluxe/id500880061)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*