# Chess vs Tempest Game Clock

The clearest difference is price: Tempest Game Clock at Free against Chess's $3.99. Tempest Game Clock also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (100% vs 92%). Chess's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (118 vs 7). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Tempest Game Clock is free to download; Chess costs $3.99 up front. Chess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Tempest Game Clock asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tempest Game Clock holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess has 118 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Chess's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tempest Game Clock's.

Chess ships an update fortnightly, Tempest Game Clock every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess | Tempest Game Clock |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545/reviews) | **[4.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tempest-game-clock/id1564359363/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **118** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 92.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 237 MB | 39 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Giordano Vicoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/460922805) | [TEMPO-GAMES LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1564359365) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-studio/id684224545)

Manage and study chess databases and games in PGN format with advanced analysis tools. Supports game creation, modification, and import from various sources. Includes engine analysis, opening book management, and puzzle training.

**Highlights:** PGN database and game management, Create, modify, and import games, Advanced engine analysis with Stockfish, Opening book and ChessBase support, Chess 960 (Fischer Random) support, Diagram recognition for PGN conversion, Puzzle training and online play

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Subscription | $8.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Powerful chess database features
- 👍 Comprehensive analysis tools
- 👍 Excellent PGN management
- 👍 Great value for price
- 👍 Frequent updates and improvements

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Steep learning curve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Unintuitive interface
- 🐛 Some users find it confusing
- 🐛 Missing dark mode

**Reported bugs**

- Problem saving updated game data
- Engine stopped working after 30 seconds
- App crashes when adding annotations without hitting 'edit mode' first
- Crash opening .pgn in landscape mode
- Crashes when selecting a cell with 0 games associated

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode
- Add board flip button
- Improve interface for screen reader users
- Add private game feature with code
- Add computer whole game analysis with annotations


### Tempest Game Clock

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tempest-game-clock/id1564359363)

This companion app transforms your iPhone into a high-definition display for a physical, tournament-style game clock. It pairs with the clock to provide clear analog and digital timing for various board games, including a strict tournament mode.

**Highlights:** iPhone display integration, Analog and digital game timing, Supports increments and delays, Tournament mode, Compatible with Chess, Backgammon, Go, Scrabble, etc., Pairs with physical game clock

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess free?

Chess costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Tempest Game Clock free?

Tempest Game Clock is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess or Tempest Game Clock?

Tempest Game Clock is rated higher. Chess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 118 ratings, while Tempest Game Clock averages 4.9 from 7 ratings.

### Do Chess or Tempest Game Clock have ads?

Neither Chess nor Tempest Game Clock shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess or Tempest Game Clock?

Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Tempest Game Clock every 2 months. Most recently, Chess was updated on October 14, 2026 and Tempest Game Clock on September 25, 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.*