Find the right chess app, without the listicle fluff.
A searchable, filterable directory of chess apps. Compare side-by-side, filter by feature, platform, price, and skill level. No affiliate-spam top-5s, no fake rankings.
- Every app hand-tested
- No pay-to-rank
- Fresh prices, weekly
Featured
The apps we'd install first on a new device.

1. Chess.com
FeaturedThe default home of online chess.
Free · from $4.17/mo · Web · iOS · Android

2. ChessAtlas
FeaturedBuild an opening repertoire that survives spaced repetition.
Free · from $6.99/mo · Web

3. Chessable
FeaturedMoveTrainer + spaced repetition for openings and tactics.
Free · from $11.99/mo · Web · iOS · Android

4. DarkSquares
FeaturedBlindfold chess training, broken into 7 progressive levels.
Free · from €39 one-time · Web · iOS · Android

5. Lichess
FeaturedFree, open-source chess. Forever.
Free · Web · iOS · Android
Guides, not listicles
Opinionated picks from a 2250 Lichess player who's actually used the apps.
Start here
How to Pick a Chess App That Will Actually Get You Improving
An honest framework to pick a chess app that actually gets you improving, not the vibecoded listicle junk. From a directory run by a 2250 Lichess player.
Read the guideWhich chess puzzle app actually builds pattern recognition and which one just farms your time? Tested picks from a directory run by a 2250 Lichess player.
Best Chess Apps for Opening PreparationOpening apps compared: what actually builds a repertoire vs. what just fills your subscription queue. Directory picks from a 2250 Lichess player.
Chess Openings for White: A Practical RepertoireThe best chess openings for White for a 1200-1800 improver, plus the app that drills them into memory. Opinionated picks from a 2250 Lichess player.
Chess Openings for Black: Defenses That HoldThe best chess openings for Black for a 1200-1800 improver, split by what White plays, plus the app that drills them. From a 2250 Lichess player.
Best Chess Apps for Beginners (Free First)An honest pick of beginner chess apps for adults and kids starting from zero. Free apps first, paid only when they actually pay back.
Best Chess Apps for Club Players (1500-2000)Beyond the beginner stack: a tested set of chess apps for serious club players working toward 1800-2000. Tools that actually move the needle at this rating.
Pick by what you want to do
Different apps for different stages of your chess journey.
You know the rules are a thing but you don't know them yet. You need an app that teaches piece movement, basic tactics, and gives you gentle bots to play against - in that order.
View apps Daily tactics trainingYou want a puzzle habit that compounds. What matters: a large, curated puzzle bank, spaced repetition, and a mobile UX that makes you come back.
View apps Opening preparationYou're serious about building a repertoire and drilling it until moves are muscle memory. Look for repertoire tools, spaced repetition, and engine depth.
View apps Endgame masteryThe phase most players neglect. You need a structured trainer with theoretical positions plus practical drills.
View apps Over-the-board preparationYou play in-person tournaments and need analysis, scanning of physical games, and opponent prep tools.
View apps Tools for chess coachesYou teach students. Pick apps with study/share, student tracking, and annotation features.
View apps Chess apps for kidsSafe environment, age-appropriate content, parental controls, game-like progression.
View apps Online tournament prepTactics, time management, opening prep against expected opponents.
View apps Casual playYou just want quick games against humans or bots without commitment to training.
View apps Deep game analysisSerious engine work, cloud evaluation, databases of master games, annotations.
View appsRecently reviewed
Fresh reviews from our editorial team.

ChessDNA
AI insights from your games: 8 skill scores, recurring mistake patterns, drills.
Free · from $5.99/mo · Web · iOS · Android

BetterBullet
Bullet pacing analyzer: your 1+0 clock use vs. rating-band benchmarks.
From $29 one-time · Web

Chessable
FeaturedMoveTrainer + spaced repetition for openings and tactics.
Free · from $11.99/mo · Web · iOS · Android

ChessEndings
Play endgames out against an opponent that never gives up.
Free · from €39 one-time · Web

DarkSquares
FeaturedBlindfold chess training, broken into 7 progressive levels.
Free · from €39 one-time · Web · iOS · Android

ChessAtlas
FeaturedBuild an opening repertoire that survives spaced repetition.
Free · from $6.99/mo · Web
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