# Chess Time vs Chess Duel

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Time at 4.7 against Chess Duel's 3.3. Chess Time also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.7K vs 7). Chess Duel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Time sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Chess Duel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chess Time holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Time has 1.7K ratings behind it against 7, 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 68% of Chess Duel's.

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, Chess Duel every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Time | Chess Duel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-time-multiplayer-chess/id455602152/reviews)** | [3.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-duel/id905259249/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.7K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **86.2% of reviews** | 67.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 42 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **9.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Haptic Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/421590139) | [Lothar Heinrich](https://appshunter.io/developer/905259253) |

## 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 Duel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-duel/id905259249)

Engage in a classic game of chess with a friend using only a local WiFi connection. Each player views the board from their perspective on their own device. No internet or external servers are required for gameplay.

**Highlights:** Play chess with nearby friends, Direct peer-to-peer WiFi connection, Automatic WiFi connection, Automatic game resume, Legal move highlighting, Customizable chess clock, Request takebacks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Time free?

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

### Is Chess Duel free?

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

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

Chess Time is rated higher. Chess Time averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while Chess Duel averages 3.3 from 7 ratings.

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

Chess Time shows ads; Chess Duel does not.

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

Chess Time ships an update every 10 days, and Chess Duel every 5 months. Most recently, Chess Time was updated on October 7, 2026 and Chess Duel on October 13, 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.*