# Chess Time vs Chess without ads

The clearest difference is ads: Chess without ads at none against Chess Time's shown. Chess without ads also leads on ratings volume (38K vs 1.7K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Chess without ads sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 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 without ads. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess without ads has 38K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Chess Time's written reviews are positive against 90% of Chess without ads's.

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, Chess without ads fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Time | Chess without ads |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** | [4.7 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-without-ads/id522314512/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **38K** |
| Positive reviews | 86.2% of reviews | **90.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 42 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) | [Christophe Théron](https://appshunter.io/developer/423198262) |

## 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 (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chess Time Premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Chess Time Premium - Annual | $17.99 | per year |
| IOS Chess Time Pro | $4.99 | one-time |

**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 without ads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-without-ads/id522314512)

Learn and play chess without distractions. This app offers guided lessons for beginners and advanced analysis for experts, helping you improve your game with intelligent suggestions and post-game reviews. Play offline and enjoy a seamless, ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Ad-free learning and play, Introductory lessons for beginners, Grandmaster move suggestions, Game analysis with good/bad moves, Supports USCF and FIDE rating scales, Strong mobile chess engine, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO, 1 week | $0.49 | per 7 days |
| PRO, 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| PRO, 3 months | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Learn chess | $4.99 | one-time |
| PRO, for life (SALE!) | $9.99 | one-time |
| PRO, for life (regular price) | $12.99 | one-time |
| PRO FOR LIFE - TODAY ONLY | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent chess training tool
- 🚀 Customizable difficulty levels
- 💡 Helpful move suggestions
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🚀 No ads or distractions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free version with paid upgrade
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💡 Desire for more chess variants and modes
- 🔒 Aggressive prompts to upgrade to paid version

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on the login screen
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Inconsistent behavior when running out of free credits

**Requested features**

- Add more chess variants (3-check, king of the hill, etc.)
- Provide more detailed game analysis and feedback
- Improve the en passant move functionality
- Add online/multiplayer capabilities


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Time free?

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

### Is Chess without ads free?

Chess without ads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Time or Chess without ads?

Chess Time is rated higher. Chess Time averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Chess without ads averages 4.7 from 38K ratings.

### Do Chess Time or Chess without ads have ads?

Chess Time shows ads; Chess without ads does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Time or Chess without ads?

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, and Chess without ads fortnightly. Most recently, Chess Time was updated on October 7, 2026 and Chess without ads on October 16, 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.*