Formalize vs Chess Shield
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Formalize
Type mathematical equations and symbols directly on your iPhone or iPad. This keyboard extension offers intuitive one-handed access to over 100 symbols, producing professionally typeset formulas. Easily export your creations as PNG or TeX to use in any app.
- Mathematical keyboard extension
- Over 100 symbols
- One-handed operation
- Professionally typeset formulas
- PNG export
- TeX export
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Do you wish you could properly type math on your iPhone or iPad? With Formalize, you can! Formalize is a keyboard extension for mathematical content. It provides intuitive one-handed access to more than 100 symbols and produces professionally typeset formulas. Easily convert your formulas to PNG or TeX and insert them anywhere, in any app!
Chess Shield
This app helps chess players improve by blocking distracting apps and replacing them with chess puzzles. Solve puzzles to advance your ELO and identify tactical weaknesses. It offers a free tier with basic features and a Pro version for advanced tactics and unlimited app blocking.
- Blocks distracting apps
- Replaces app opens with chess puzzles
- Puzzles matched to ELO
- Tracks ELO in real-time
- Tactical insights
- Unlimited puzzles (Free)
- Block multiple apps (Pro)
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For chess players who want to actually get better. Endless scrolling steals the hours you'd rather spend improving. Chess Shield blocks the apps that eat your chess time. Try to open one, and a puzzle takes over the screen. Solve it to get past. Every solve moves your ELO. HOW IT WORKS Pick the apps you reach for when you meant to study. Instagram, TikTok, X, whatever's eating you. When you try to open them, a puzzle takes over. Solve it to unlock the app for a few minutes. The puzzles match your level. Type your chess.com or Lichess ELO and we'll start there. Or skip the input and we'll test you with three puzzles. From then on, every puzzle is challenging enough to make you think, solvable enough that you'll get there. Insights show you which tactics keep tripping you up. Your ELO moves in real time on every solve. FREE INCLUDES – Unlimited puzzles, matched to your ELO – 6 starter tactics: Fork, Pin, Skewer, Mate-in-1, Mate-in-2, Back-rank – 1 shielded app – Full ELO tracking – Insights into what you solve and what you miss PRO UNLOCKS – All 52 advanced tactics. Mate-in-3, Discovered Attack, Zwischenzug, endgames. The full library, not just the starters. – See every blind spot. Insights unlocks every theme. Your full weakness map, no locked tiles. – Block every app you want, not just one. Plenty to start on Free. Pro is where you stop guessing what to study. 7-day free trial on the yearly plan. $4.99/month or $39.99/year. WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Most focus apps are guilt machines. Most chess apps want your scroll. Chess Shield does both jobs at once. Every minute in here is measurable progress, not just dopamine. If you've ever wished the time you waste scrolling could be real chess time, this is it. PRIVACY We don't collect anything. No accounts, no analytics, no backend. The apps you block are opaque tokens iOS hands us. We literally can't see them. Everything stays on your device. ——— Subscription details Chess Shield Pro is offered as a monthly ($4.99/month) or yearly ($39.99/year) auto-renewing subscription. The yearly plan includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. The subscription auto-renews unless turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in iPhone Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://chessshield.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://chessshield.com/terms
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Chess Shield at Free against Formalize's $1.99. Chess Shield also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.6) and update cadence (weekly vs every 9 months). Formalize's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (10 vs 3). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Chess Shield is free to download; Formalize costs $1.99 up front. Chess Shield sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Formalize asks for nothing beyond the download.
Chess Shield holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Formalize's written reviews are positive against 50% of Chess Shield's.
Formalize ships an update every 9 months, Chess Shield weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Formalize | Chess Shield |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 2.6 (10 ratings) | 3.7 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 51 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ben Hambrecht | Alejandro Trevino Saldana |
Customer experience
Formalize
Chess Shield
In-app purchases
Formalize
No in-app purchases
Chess Shield
- Chess Shield Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
- Chess Shield Pro$39.991 Year





