Comparison

Whirligig vs Chess Clock by Chess.com

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

Head to head
About

Whirligig

This app helps users make decisions by providing a customizable spinning selector. Users can input questions and potential answers, then spin to get a random, unbiased result. It saves past questions and allows for extensive answer lists and spin customization.

Highlights
  • Customizable spinning selector
  • Random and unbiased results
  • Saves past questions
  • Add/remove answers anytime
  • Supports up to 1000 answers
  • Adjustable spin duration
Features
Read full description

Do you ever need help making decisions? Well Whirligig can help! Whirligig is a customizable spinning selector. Just give it a question and some possible answers then give Whirligig a spin to reveal your destiny. Whirligig is completely random and unbiased. It saves your questions so you can easily ask them again. Add or remove available answers at any time. Add up to 1000 answers to choose from. Change the duration of the Whirligig's spin.

About

Chess Clock by Chess.com

This free app functions as a digital chess clock, offering customizable time controls for any game. It supports various increment and delay types, multiple stages, and handicapping, making it ideal for casual play and tournaments. Adjust time on the fly and enjoy clear displays and audio alerts.

Highlights
  • Customizable time controls
  • Fischer and Bronstein increments
  • Multiple-stage time controls
  • Handicapping support
  • On-the-fly time adjustments
  • Pause and interruption support
  • Audio alerts
Features
Read full description

Replace your chess clock with this free game timer! It's easy to use, yet fully featured to handle any time control. 100% free: no in-app purchases, no ads! Choose your time control and you're ready to play. The 2nd player presses her button to start the 1st player's clock - and the game is on! FEATURES - Large, easy-to-read buttons - Works in landscape and portrait on all devices - Quickly customize the app for one-tap access to all your favorite time controls - Time controls include base minutes per player and optional per-move delays or bonus time. The app supports both Fischer and Bronstein increments, as well as simple delays. The duration is up to you! - Supports multiple-stage time controls commonly seen in tournaments, such as "40 moves in 2 hours + game in 60 minutes." A glance at the clock shows your current stage! - Support for handicapping lets you set different time controls for each player! - You can adjust the time remaining on the fly, in the middle of your game, for either or both players! - Clock pauses automatically if the app is interrupted; manually pause the clock at any time - Pleasant sounds for buttons and "time's up" alert At Chess.com, we really do love chess, and *sometimes* we even play it offline! For times like that, we created this clock - and we hope you love it as much as we do.

Screenshots

Whirligig4 screens
Chess Clock by Chess.com4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Clock by Chess.com at none against Whirligig's 1. Chess Clock by Chess.com also leads on chart position (#140 vs unranked). Whirligig's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (9.1 vs 14.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Whirligig sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess Clock by Chess.com asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Whirligig against 4.6 for Chess Clock by Chess.com. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 301 and 338 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Whirligig's written reviews are positive against 91% of Chess Clock by Chess.com's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Whirligig ships an update every 5 days, Chess Clock by Chess.com every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Whirligig versus Chess Clock by Chess.com: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhirligigChess Clock by Chess.com
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (301 ratings) — better4.6 (338 ratings)
Positive reviews87.3% of reviews90.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings301338 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank—#140 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS9.1 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlin NomuraChess.com

Customer experience

Whirligig

All ratings301 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive87.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative9.5%

Chess Clock by Chess.com

All ratings338 ratings
Positive90.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews212 reviews
Positive90.6%
Neutral5.7%
Negative3.8%

User reviews

Whirligig

From 301 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 No ads or paywalls
  • 🎨 Customizable colors and wheel appearance
  • ⚡ Simple and intuitive user interface
  • 🎯 Truly random selection results
  • 🆓 Completely free to use

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes with larger wheels (30+ entries)
  • 🐛 Crashes when selecting certain wheels
  • ⚠️ No app updates in years
  • ⚠️ Abandoned development status
  • 🔍 No privacy policy available

Chess Clock by Chess.com

From 338 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⏱️ Simple and easy to use
  • 🔒 No ads or data collection
  • 🎨 Intuitive and clean interface
  • 🔊 Satisfying click sound effects
  • 🕰️ Customizable time controls

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Sound issues (no sound in silent mode, changed sound)
  • 🔍 Difficulty reading in bright outdoor settings
  • 🤖 Limited functionality (can't set different times for players)

Bugs and requests

Whirligig

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App crashes with 30+ entries on wheel
  • App closes when spinning wheels with many options
  • Wheel crashes when selected from list
  • Crashes on iOS 15+
  • Non-random results (always selecting first option)
Show 3 more
  • Wheel arrangement changes unexpectedly after editing
  • Interrupts streaming music (Pandora) when opened
  • Performance issues with large wheels

Requested features

10 requests
  • Alphabetize or sort wheel list
  • Randomize entries button
  • Import list via copy-paste functionality
  • iPad version support
  • Image customization instead of just colors
Show 5 more
  • Adjustable section sizes for wheel segments
  • Better custom color palette (grays, browns, white backgrounds)
  • Alternative sound options or mute button
  • Support for more than 50 answers
  • Ability to view entire wheel on large screens

Chess Clock by Chess.com

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Time not always reduced when pressing the clock quickly
  • Custom time settings not always saved properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add warning/countdown alerts for time running out
  • Allow setting different times for each player
  • Provide more theme/color options
  • Add vibration feedback when pressing the clock

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Whirligig

One-time1
  • No Ads$0.99
None

Chess Clock by Chess.com

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Whirligig free?
Whirligig is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Clock by Chess.com free?
Chess Clock by Chess.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Whirligig or Chess Clock by Chess.com?
Whirligig is rated higher. Whirligig averages 4.7 out of 5 from 301 ratings, while Chess Clock by Chess.com averages 4.6 from 338 ratings.
Do Whirligig or Chess Clock by Chess.com have ads?
Neither Whirligig nor Chess Clock by Chess.com shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Whirligig or Chess Clock by Chess.com?
Whirligig ships an update every 5 days, and Chess Clock by Chess.com every 3 months. Most recently, Whirligig was updated on October 13, 2026 and Chess Clock by Chess.com on October 17, 2026.

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