Alternatives to Magnus Trainer
Gamified learning with lessons featuring Magnus Carlsen. If that's not for you - or you want to try something different - here are apps that overlap on features and use cases.
Magnus Trainer is a gamified mobile-first chess training app: short lessons, interactive exercises, branded around Magnus Carlsen. It works well for ages roughly 10-14 and for adult beginners who want chess in 5-minute snacks. Past about 1200 ELO, it tends to feel thin - the gamified format doesn't go deep enough to keep moving the needle.
First-line alternative
For a player who outgrew Magnus Trainer, Chessable is the structural step up. The MoveTrainer gives the same drilling-feels-like-a-game effect but on real, deeper content (full openings, full endgames, real annotated games). Per-course pricing means a single $50 purchase covers months of training rather than a continuing subscription.
Second option
For a player who wants the snack format on harder content, Aimchess fits - it's not a "lesson app" but the daily insight feed and personalized exercises play in roughly the same usage pattern (5-15 minutes a day, mobile-friendly), and the content tightens as the player improves rather than capping out.
Verdict
Magnus Trainer isn't bad chess software; it's just calibrated for an earlier stage. If the user reading this is past 1200 ELO and noticing the lessons stopped teaching anything new, Chessable is the most natural next product. If the user is still under 1200 and wants more variety in the gamified format, the alternative is just consistency - Magnus Trainer plus a free Lichess account is enough.
8 alternatives at a glance
Ordered by weighted overlap with Magnus Trainer across use cases, features and platforms - not a quality ranking.
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Offline mode | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chess.com | $4.17/mo | Not listed | Web, iOS, Android | |
| Lichess | Free only | Web, iOS, Android | ||
| Chess King Learn | See review | Web, iOS, Android, macOS | ||
| Chessveda | See review | Not listed | Web, iOS, Android | |
| Chess Pangolin | £2.99/mo | Not listed | Web | |
| Chessable | $11.99/mo | Not listed | Web, iOS, Android | |
| ChessKid | $9.99/mo | Not listed | Web, iOS, Android | |
| Chessy | $7.99/mo | Not listed | iOS, Android, macOS |
Chess.com
Chess.com, LLC
The default home of online chess.
Lichess
Lichess (charity)
Free, open-source chess. Forever.
Chess King Learn
Chess King (CHESSQUEEN INC, ex-Convekta)
Huge Convekta course catalog in one app.
Chessveda
MIDAS 24X7 GAMES PRIVATE LIMITED
An all-in-one chess platform priced for India, with prize tournaments on top.
Chess Pangolin
CHESS STALLION LTD
A coached game review whose explanations are board-checked - and that says so when it has no answer.
Chessable
Chessable (Chess.com)
MoveTrainer + spaced repetition for openings and tactics.
ChessKid
Chess.com, LLC
The safest place for kids to learn chess.
Chessy
Elazar Stefansky
A chat window instead of a dashboard - an AI coach that answers about your own games.