Chess Clock by Chess.com vs Colonist.io
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- Customizable time controls
- Fischer and Bronstein increments
- Multiple-stage time controls
- Handicapping support
- On-the-fly time adjustments
- Pause and interruption support
- Audio alerts
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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.
Colonist.io
Engage in a competitive multiplayer strategy game where you build settlements and expand your territory. Master simple rules with deep gameplay through strategy, planning, and negotiation. Compete against friends, bots, or climb leaderboards in ranked modes.
- Build settlements
- Expand territory
- Multiplayer competition
- Strategy and negotiation
- Ranked leaderboards
- Custom maps and expansions
- Player customization
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Colonist is an exciting multiplayer game. You take on the role of a Colonist by building settlements and expanding your territory while competing with opponents trying to do the same. Colonist combines extremely simple rules with tremendously deep gameplay. Use strategy, planning, and cunning negotiation to win. You can train against bots, play with friends online, and even compete in our ranked modes for a spot on the leaderboards! We also offer a variety of fun custom maps to play on in addition to traditional expansions which add elements like ships and barbarians to the game. You can even play with more than 4 friends with our 5-6 and 7-8 player expansions. In the store, you will find a wide array of custom colors and avatars that allow you to personalize your profile and show off. Pick a unique color and avatar combination to instill fear in your opponents!
Screenshots
Verdict
Chess Clock by Chess.com and Colonist.io both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 91% of Chess Clock by Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 22% of Colonist.io's. Chess Clock by Chess.com also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). Colonist.io's advantage is ratings volume (4.3K vs 342). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Chess Clock by Chess.com against 4.5 for Colonist.io. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Colonist.io has 4.3K ratings behind it against 342, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Chess Clock by Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 22% of Colonist.io's.
Chess Clock by Chess.com ships an update every 3 months, Colonist.io every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | Chess Clock by Chess.com | Colonist.io |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (342 ratings) — better | 4.5 (4.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.6% of reviews — better | 22.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 342 | 4.3K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #78 — better | #156 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Chess.com | Colonist |
Customer experience
Chess Clock by Chess.com
Colonist.io
User reviews
Chess Clock by Chess.com
From 342 App Store ratingsWhat 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)
Colonist.io
From 4.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great Catan experience
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🤝 Fun to play with friends
- 💰 Free to play
Room to improve
- 🐛 Dice rolls are biased and unrealistic
- 🔋 Battery-draining
- 🔒 Questionable algorithm and randomness
- 👎 Frequent crashes and disconnects
- 💸 Expensive subscription model
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
Colonist.io
Reported bugs
5 issues- Dice rolls are predictable and favor certain players
- Frequent crashes and disconnects during games
- Compatibility issues with older devices
- UI elements not scaling properly on smaller screens
- Inability to rejoin games after disconnects
Requested features
5 requests- Improve dice algorithm to be more random
- Add offline/single-player mode
- Improve UI and user experience
- Provide more customization options
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
In-app purchases
Chess Clock by Chess.com
No in-app purchases
Colonist.io
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Clock by Chess.com free?
Is Colonist.io free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Clock by Chess.com or Colonist.io?
Do Chess Clock by Chess.com or Colonist.io have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Clock by Chess.com or Colonist.io?
Which is more popular, Chess Clock by Chess.com or Colonist.io?
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