Offline Chess Apps for Android
Lichess, DroidFish, Chess King Learn, Shredder: the Android chess apps that play, analyze and drill with no internet, checked against their own listings. Plus the pre-flight checklist.
Android is the better platform for offline chess, for one reason: it lets open-source engine GUIs exist. The App Store has one free Stockfish wrapper; Android has DroidFish, a full analysis board that has been free since 2011. Add the Lichess app, which learned to play the computer offline in 2026, and a course app with a real download mode, and an Android phone in airplane mode is a complete chess kit.
The short answer: install Lichess and DroidFish. Both are free with no ads. Lichess plays the computer and serves pre-loaded puzzles; DroidFish analyses any position with Stockfish on the device. For course study offline, add Chess King Learn or, for PRO members, Chessable. This page is the Android half of the guide to chess apps that work offline.
What each app does with no connection
| App | Offline on Android | Needs a connection | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lichess | Computer games with a clock, pre-loaded puzzles, local analysis, over-the-board clock | Online play, studies, broadcasts, account sync | Free, no ads |
| DroidFish | Engine analysis, play vs Stockfish or CuckooChess, two players on one phone, PGN editing | Nothing | Free, GPL |
| Chess.com | Games against the computer, local analysis | Puzzles, lessons, Game Review, online play | Free tier with ads; paid plans |
| Chess King Learn | Purchased courses, with cross-device sync when back online | Buying courses, sync | App free; courses sold one by one or by subscription |
| CT-ART 6.0 (inside Chess King Learn) | The purchased tactics courses, on the device | Nothing after purchase | One-time, EUR 34.99 for the multi-platform bundle |
| Shredder | Engine play, coach, 1,000 puzzles, analysis | Online opening and endgame databases | About $8, one-time |
| ChessKid | Games against the computer | Puzzles, lessons, videos | Free tier; Gold for the full curriculum |
| Chessable (PRO) | Downloaded courses and videos | Everything on a free account | PRO $11.99/mo; courses sold separately |
Lichess: play and puzzles
The official Lichess app, the one with the mobileV2package name, is free, ad-free and plays a proper offline game, and nothing else on this list serves pre-loaded puzzles offline without a purchase. Computer games with no connection have been in the app since early 2026; the September 2026 releases added Stockfish 19 levels, Maia opponents that imitate human play at a chosen rating, and a time control. Puzzles are pre-loaded in a batch whose size is a setting; load it on Wi-Fi before leaving. Analysis of any game runs on the phone's own engine. The over-the-board clock works anywhere.
DroidFish: the analysis board
DroidFish is what makes Android the better offline platform. It is a free, open-source GUI by Peter Österlund that bundles Stockfish and CuckooChess, designed first for analysis: set up a position, let the engine run multiple lines, step through a PGN, edit annotations. It also plays against the engine at adjustable strength and lets two people play on one phone. It is distributed through F-Droid and GitHub, which is where to install it from; the last release is from 2024, which for a mature engine GUI is not a concern. Nothing in it ever asks for a connection.
Course apps with a real download mode
Chess King Learn is the mobile front end for Convekta's course catalogue, CT-ART and dozens of others, bought one by one or through a subscription. Its offline mode is the point: a purchased course works without a connection, and progress syncs across devices when back online. The app itself is free; the listing notes it shows ads, and the courses are not cheap. CT-ART 6.0 is the publisher's classic tactics material sold as a one-time bundle instead of by subscription; on Android it opens inside the Chess King Learn app, with everything on the device after purchase. The standalone program is Windows only.
Chessable on Android works the same way as on iPhone: offline course and video downloads are a PRO feature. Free accounts review online only.
Paid engine play: Shredder
Shredder for Android is the same offline-first package as the iPhone version: a strong engine with adjustable strength, a coach, an Elo estimate and 1,000 puzzles built in, with only the online opening and endgame databases needing a connection. Roughly $8, one-time, no account. Now that Lichess plays the computer offline for free, the puzzles and the absence of any account are what Shredder is selling.
Where Chess.com and ChessKid stand
Both store listings say the apps play the computer offline, and Chess.com's adds offline analysis. Neither serves puzzles, lessons or Game Review without a connection. For a child on a flight, ChessKid's offline computer games are enough; for an adult, the offline Chess.com experience is thin next to Lichess.
Before the flight: a checklist
- Lichess: open the Puzzles tab on Wi-Fi so the batch loads; check the batch size in settings; play one computer game so the engine files are present.
- DroidFish: install from F-Droid, open it once, and copy a PGN of games to analyse into the phone.
- Chess King Learn or Chessable PRO: download each course explicitly while connected. In Chessable that is the "Download course" action, with videos downloaded chapter by chapter; wait for the downloads to finish before leaving.
- Chess.com: sign in before losing signal. Users report the app will not start a computer game from a signed-out state.
For the desktop side of the same trip, SCID vs PC and the rest of the laptop setup, go back to chess apps that work offline.
FAQ
- Does the Lichess Android app work offline?
- Yes. It has played the computer offline since early 2026, the September 2026 releases added Stockfish 19 levels and human-like Maia opponents, and it solves a pre-loaded batch of puzzles with no signal. Online games and studies need a connection.
- Is DroidFish on Google Play?
- It is distributed through F-Droid and GitHub under the GPL, which is where to get it; its presence on Google Play has varied over the years, so check the store rather than assume.
- Does the Chess.com Android app work offline?
- Partly. It plays the computer and analyses games offline once signed in. Puzzles, lessons, Game Review and online play need a connection.
- Best free offline chess app for Android?
- Lichess for play and puzzles, DroidFish for engine analysis. Both free, both without ads, and together they cover everything a phone can do offline except course study.
See also
← Back to Chess Apps That Work Offline