Best Chess Clock Apps
Last reviewed
If you want the safest free pick, Chess Clock by Chess.com is the most established: it is free with no in-app purchases at all, it is the most-rated of the apps here, and it covers Fischer, Bronstein, delay and multi-stage controls. The ChessTimer app - from this site - matches those modes and adds 22 themes, seven interface languages and a free browser clock. For a FIDE-rated over-the-board game, no app qualifies: you need a physical clock the arbiter approves, and the DGT 3000 is the most widely accepted of those.
The table below is built only from what each app states publicly. Where a listing does not mention a feature, the cell says so instead of guessing - a missing mention is not proof the feature is absent.
Chess clock apps compared
| ChessTimer (native app) | Chess Clock by Chess.com | Chess Clock - Speed Timer | DGT 3000 (hardware) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android; plus a reduced free browser clock | iOS, Android | iOS | Physical clock |
| Price | Free; optional $8.99 theme pack | Free, no in-app purchases | Free; premium $4.99-$29.99 | €85 incl. VAT |
| Ads | None | None | None | - |
| Fischer increment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bronstein | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Simple (US) delay | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Multi-stage tournament controls | Yes | Yes | Not listed | Yes |
| Byo-yomi (Go) | No | Not listed | Not listed | Yes |
| Different clock per side | Yes | Yes | Not listed | - |
| Interface languages | 7 | English | English | - |
| Store rating when checked | Too few ratings to display | 4.6 (338 ratings) | 4.4 (43 ratings) | - |
| Version listed | 1.3.0 | 2.0.7 (18 June 2024) | 1.0.11 | - |
| Usable in a FIDE-rated game | No | No | No | Yes |
Which chess clock should you actually pick?
- Best track record: Chess Clock by Chess.com
- Free with no in-app purchases of any kind, by a wide margin the most-rated of the three, and it covers every increment plus multi-stage controls. Its App Store listing shows version 2.0.7 from June 2024 and an English-only interface, so it is stable rather than actively evolving - which for a clock is a fair trade.
- Best if you want it in your language, or in a browser: ChessTimer
- The same four increment modes and multi-stage controls, plus a browser version that needs no install, seven interface languages, and 22 themes with their own sound packs. The honest caveat: it is newer and has too few store ratings to show an average yet.
- Best for a FIDE-rated tournament: DGT 3000
- Not an app, and that is the point. Under Article 11.3.2 of the FIDE Laws of Chess a player may not have a phone on their person in the playing venue during a game, so no app can be your clock in a rated over-the-board game. The arbiter approves the equipment, so several clocks qualify; the DGT 3000 is the most widely accepted, is approved by FIDE, and handles Fischer, both delay styles, byo-yomi and multi-stage controls.
- Best when nobody wants to install anything: a browser clock
- For a one-off game at a friend's table, a clock that runs in a browser tab and works offline once loaded beats making everyone visit an app store.
- What to check before you pay
- Whether the increment modes you actually use are in the free tier. Increments are the whole job of a chess clock, and at least two well-rated apps include all of them at no cost, so a paid tier should be buying you something beyond them.
How this comparison was put together
Every row comes from a page anyone can open: the app's own App Store listing, or the manufacturer's product page. Nothing here is based on a private test rig, and no cell is inferred from a screenshot.
That method has a real limit, and it is worth stating plainly: a listing that does not mention simple delay is not proof the app lacks it. Those cells read 'not listed'. The comparison is re-checked at the review date shown at the top of this page.
Questions
What is the best free chess clock app?
Chess Clock by Chess.com has the strongest track record - free with no in-app purchases, the most-rated of the apps compared here, and every increment including multi-stage tournament controls. The ChessTimer app matches those modes and adds 22 themes, seven interface languages and a free browser clock, but is newer and has fewer ratings.
Can I use a chess clock app in a tournament?
Not in a FIDE-rated over-the-board game. Article 11.3.2 of the FIDE Laws of Chess forbids a player from having a phone on their person in the playing venue during the game, and the arbiter supplies or approves the clock. For club, casual and training games an app is completely fine.
Do any chess clock apps support byo-yomi for Go?
None of the apps compared here lists Japanese byo-yomi with multiple periods. Many Go players use simple delay as an approximation. The DGT 3000 does support byo-yomi and Canadian byo-yomi natively.
Is a chess clock app as accurate as a physical clock?
For any practical purpose, yes - a phone keeps time far more precisely than a game needs. The real difference is the input and the interruptions: a physical lever is unambiguous, while a screen can be covered by an incoming call unless the device is in a focus mode.
Sources
Get the native app