Comparison

Chess Arena vs ChessTimer

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

Head to head
About

Chess Arena

Features
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Challenge your mind with Chess Arena: Battle Masters – the ultimate chess experience on mobile! Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, Chess Arena offers a smooth, intuitive, and powerful way to enjoy the classic game of chess. Features: Play against advanced AI with adjustable difficulty Local two-player mode to challenge friends and family Clean, user-friendly interface for distraction-free gameplay Undo moves, save and resume games anytime Practice and learn strategies to improve your skills With a simple design and smooth performance, Chess Arena: Battle Masters is perfect for casual players and competitive enthusiasts alike. Improve your tactics, sharpen your focus, and enjoy one of the world’s greatest strategy games anytime, anywhere.

About

ChessTimer

Features
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ChessTimer is the chess clock built to outclass the rest. It's free, with no ads, no account and no tracking; an optional theme pack adds 96 more themes. EVERY TIME CONTROL, DONE RIGHT • Fischer increment, Bronstein delay, simple (US) delay, or sudden death • Multi-stage tournament controls (e.g. 40 moves in 90 min, then 30 min, +30s) • Per-side handicap: give each player a different clock ONE TAP TO PLAY • Bullet, Blitz, Rapid and Classical presets ready to go • Build any custom cadence and save your favorites MADE TO LIVE ON YOUR TABLE • Oversized, glanceable digits • Sound + haptic feedback on every move and a flag alert • Screen stays awake during a game; auto-pauses when interrupted • 22 free themes in four collections (classic, meme, illustrated and photo), many with their own artwork, sounds and ambient effects • Zen photo themes (lagoon, mountains, forest, aurora) and an optional analog dial face • Pick your style in a swipeable theme gallery on first launch • High-contrast colorblind-friendly theme included OPTIONAL THEME PACK • 96 extra themes, one-time purchase, no subscription WORKS FOR MORE THAN CHESS Go, shogi, debate, or any two-player turn-based game. FREE & PRIVATE No ads. No accounts. No tracking. The clock works fully offline. MORE CHESS APPS BY THE SAME MAKER ChessEndings for endgames, ChessAtlas for openings, DarkSquares for blindfold chess and ChessTactics for tactics puzzles. All four are a tap away in Settings.

Screenshots

Chess Arena4 screens
ChessTimer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Arena at none against ChessTimer's 1. ChessTimer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. ChessTimer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Arena asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Arena ships an update monthly, ChessTimer every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Chess Arena versus ChessTimer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess ArenaChessTimer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size130 MB51 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperDarko JankoviAntoine Tamano

In-app purchases

None

Chess Arena

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

ChessTimer

One-time1
  • Premium Theme Pack$8.99

Questions

Is Chess Arena free?
Chess Arena is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChessTimer free?
ChessTimer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chess Arena or ChessTimer have ads?
Chess Arena shows ads; ChessTimer does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess Arena or ChessTimer?
Chess Arena ships an update monthly, and ChessTimer every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Arena was updated on October 25, 2026 and ChessTimer on October 31, 2026.

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