Comparison

Chess Clock by Chess.com vs Catan Universe

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

Head to head
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.

About

Catan Universe

Experience the classic board game and its card game counterpart on your mobile device. Trade, build, and settle on the island of Catan, competing against players worldwide. Unlock expansions and new game modes for endless strategic fun.

Highlights
  • Trade, build, and settle
  • Play across multiple devices with one account
  • Faithful adaptation of board and card games
  • Design your own avatar
  • Chat with players and form guilds
  • Participate in seasons and win prizes
  • Unlock achievements and rewards
Features
Read full description

Play your favorite game CATAN anytime and anywhere: the original board game, the card game, the expansions and ‘CATAN – Rise of the Inkas‘, all in one app! After a long voyage of great deprivation, your ships have finally reached the coast of an uncharted island. However, other explorers have also landed on Catan: The race to settle the island has begun! Build roads and cities, trade skillfully and become Lord or Lady of Catan! Go on a journey to the Catan universe, and compete in exciting duels against players from all over the world. The board game classic and the Catan card game bring a real tabletop feeling to your screen! Play with your Catan Universe account on the device of your choice: You can use your login on numerous desktop and mobile platforms! Become part of the huge worldwide Catan community, and compete against players from all over the world, and on all supported platforms. The board game: Play the basic board game in multiplayer mode! Join two of your friends for a maximum of three players and face all the challenges in “Arrival on Catan”. Make things even more exciting by unlocking the full Basegame; the expansions “Cities & Knights” and “Seafarers”, each for up to six players. The special scenario pack containing the scenarios “Enchanted Land” and “The Great Canal” adds even more variety to your games. The game edition ‘Rise of the Inkas‘ is another exciting challenge for you, as your settlements are doomed in their heyday. The jungle swallows the signs of human civilization, and your opponents seize their chance to build their settlement at the location they crave for. The card game: Play the introductory game of the popular 2 player card game “Catan – The Duel” online free of charge or master the free “Arrival on Catan”, to permanently unlock the single player mode against the AI. Get the complete card game as an in-game purchase to play three different theme sets against friends, other fans friends or different AI opponents and submerge yourself into the bustling life on Catan. Features: - Trade – build – settle – Become Lord of Catan! - Play on all your devices with one account. - Faithful to the original version of the board game “Catan”, as well as the card game “Catan – The Duel” (aka “Rivals for Catan”) - Design your own avatar. - Chat with other players and form guilds. - Participate in seasons and win amazing prizes. - Play to earn numerous achievements and unlock rewards. - Get additional expansions and play modes as in-game purchases. - Get started very easily with the comprehensive tutorial. Free-to-play content: - Basic game free matches against two other human players - Introductory game free matches Catan – The Duel against a human player - “Arrival on Catan”: Master the challenges in all areas of the game to get more red Catan suns. - You can use Catan suns to play against the computer. Your yellow suns recharge on their own. ***** Questions or suggestions for improvements: Mail to support@catanuniverse.com We are looking forward to your feedback! For more information on news and updates: www.catanuniverse.com or visit us on www.facebook.com/CatanUniverse *****

Screenshots

Chess Clock by Chess.com4 screens
Catan Universe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Clock by Chess.com at 91% against Catan Universe's 13%. Chess Clock by Chess.com also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.8) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Catan Universe's advantage is ratings volume (31K vs 338) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, update cadence, ads and chart position 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. Catan Universe sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Chess Clock by Chess.com asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Clock by Chess.com holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Catan Universe has 31K ratings behind it against 338, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Chess Clock by Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 13% of Catan Universe's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Clock by Chess.com ships an update every 3 months, Catan Universe every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Chess Clock by Chess.com versus Catan Universe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Clock by Chess.comCatan Universe
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (338 ratings) — better3.8 (31K ratings)
Positive reviews90.6% of reviews — better12.6% of reviews
Number of ratings33831K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#136#130 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB901 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperChess.comUnited Soft Media Verlag GmbH

Customer experience

Chess Clock by Chess.com

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

Catan Universe

All ratings30,848 ratings
Positive68.8%
Neutral6.2%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3,355 reviews
Positive12.6%
Neutral14.0%
Negative73.4%

User reviews

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)

Catan Universe

From 31K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great representation of board game
  • 👍 Lots of game modes and expansions
  • 🎨 Good visual design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
  • 🔁 Unreliable connectivity and server issues
  • 🤖 Unfair and unbalanced AI
  • 💰 Expensive in-app purchases

Bugs and requests

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

Catan Universe

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Game freezes and gets stuck during play
  • Frequent log-out and login issues
  • Inconsistent enforcement of game rules
  • Disappearing resources and settlements

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add ability to mute group chat
  • Improve trade interface and AI trading behavior
  • Randomize dice rolls and resource distribution
  • Provide more customization options for game setup

In-app purchases

None

Chess Clock by Chess.com

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Catan Universe

One-time6
  • 200 Catan Gold$2.99
  • 300 Catan Gold$3.99
  • 500 Catan Gold$4.99
Show 3 more
  • 900 Catan Gold$7.99
  • 1700 Catan Gold$14.99
  • 3000 Catan Gold$26.99

Questions

Is Chess Clock by Chess.com free?
Chess Clock by Chess.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Catan Universe free?
Catan Universe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess Clock by Chess.com or Catan Universe?
Chess Clock by Chess.com is rated higher. Chess Clock by Chess.com averages 4.6 out of 5 from 338 ratings, while Catan Universe averages 3.8 from 31K ratings.
Do Chess Clock by Chess.com or Catan Universe have ads?
Neither Chess Clock by Chess.com nor Catan Universe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Clock by Chess.com or Catan Universe?
Chess Clock by Chess.com ships an update every 3 months, and Catan Universe every 2 months. Most recently, Chess Clock by Chess.com was updated on October 17, 2026 and Catan Universe on October 18, 2026.
Which is more popular, Chess Clock by Chess.com or Catan Universe?
Chess Clock by Chess.com currently peaks at #136 in the App Store charts, and Catan Universe at #130. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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