# Chess Openings Explorer Pro vs Openings Mastermind

The clearest difference is price: Openings Mastermind at Free against Chess Openings Explorer Pro's $3.99. Chess Openings Explorer Pro's advantage is ratings volume (356 vs 6) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Openings Mastermind is free to download; Chess Openings Explorer Pro costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Chess Openings Explorer Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Openings Explorer Pro has 356 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Chess Openings Explorer Pro's written reviews are positive against 50% of Openings Mastermind's.

Chess Openings Explorer Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Openings Mastermind fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Openings Explorer Pro | Openings Mastermind |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (356 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-explorer-pro/id1083431778/reviews)** | [4.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **356** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **54.5% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#106** | — |
| Size | 40 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Emmanuel Mathis](https://appshunter.io/developer/892041879) | [Christian Heise](https://appshunter.io/developer/1632898424) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Openings Explorer Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-explorer-pro/id1083431778)

**Currently charting:** #106 Top Paid · Board (US App Store)

Master chess openings with a comprehensive dictionary and analysis of over 2 million Grandmaster games. Test your knowledge with interactive quizzes and analyze positions using a powerful built-in engine.

**Highlights:** Chess opening dictionary, Grandmaster game analysis, Interactive quiz modes, Position win/loss/draw stats, Built-in chess engine, PGN export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Extensive database of grandmaster games (2 million+)
- 🎯 Intuitive opening explorer interface
- 📊 Clear visualization of move statistics and win rates
- 🎮 Easy access to replay master games
- 💡 Practical and pedagogical approach to learning openings

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ Limited depth - only covers ~5 moves in most lines
- ❌ Lacks built-in chess engine for analysis
- 😕 Confusing user interface for beginners
- 📖 Insufficient documentation and help instructions
- 🤷 Unclear what statistics and percentages mean

**Reported bugs**

- Games fail to load with 'failed to load games' error
- Wrong position displayed when accessing games from position
- Text truncation on opening names (iPhone)
- Incompatibility with older devices (iPad 4)
- App crashes or freezes

**Requested features**

- Built-in chess engine for position evaluation
- Ability to play own moves and get engine feedback
- Play openings against computer opponent
- PGN import functionality
- Quiz mode by opening


### Openings Mastermind

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openings-mastermind/id6448386251)

Master chess openings with this app. Import studies, explore with advanced engines, and practice specific lines through repetition. Track your progress and improve your game.

**Highlights:** Import Lichess Studies or PGNs, Explore openings with Stockfish 15, Practice openings by repetition, Smart practice queue, Track learning progress

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Openings Explorer Pro free?

Chess Openings Explorer Pro costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Openings Mastermind free?

Openings Mastermind is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Openings Explorer Pro or Openings Mastermind?

Chess Openings Explorer Pro is rated higher. Chess Openings Explorer Pro averages 4.6 out of 5 from 356 ratings, while Openings Mastermind averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.

### Do Chess Openings Explorer Pro or Openings Mastermind have ads?

Neither Chess Openings Explorer Pro nor Openings Mastermind shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Openings Explorer Pro or Openings Mastermind?

Chess Openings Explorer Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Openings Mastermind fortnightly. Most recently, Chess Openings Explorer Pro was updated on October 26, 2026 and Openings Mastermind on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*