# Chess King vs Chess Notation Trainer

The clearest difference is ads: Chess Notation Trainer at none against Chess King's shown. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). Chess King's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 16) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On price, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess King sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess King holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess King has 2.5K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of Chess King's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess King | Chess Notation Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239/reviews)** | [4.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 108 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess King](https://appshunter.io/developer/1096660597) | [Nishat Majid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727207034) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess King

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-king-learn-to-play/id1305823239)

Master the game of chess with this comprehensive learning app. It offers interactive lessons, puzzles, and analysis for all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Improve your tactics and strategy with a personal chess trainer, available online and offline.

**Highlights:** 100+ learning courses, Interactive theoretical lessons, High-quality, double-checked puzzles, Personal chess trainer, Computer analysis, Offline support, Chess tasks for kids

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CT-ART: The Best Tactics | $5.99 | per month |
| Chess King University | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $11.99 | per month |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $17.99 | per month |
| Chess King Courses | $89.99 | per year |
| Chess King Maximum Pack | $119.99 | per year |
| Mate in 1 move (Chess Puzzles) | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chess Endings for Beginners | $7.99 | one-time |
| Chess: From Beginner to Club | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Combinations Vol. 1 | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Tactics for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Blunders | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Opening Lab (1400-2000) | $12.99 | one-time |
| Chess Strategy for Beginners | $12.99 | one-time |
| Elementary Chess Tactics 1 | $12.99 | one-time |
| CT-ART 4.0 (Chess Tactics) | $17.99 | one-time |
| Total Chess Endgames 1600-2400 | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Best game in the world
- 👍 Helpful for practice
- 💡 Excellent tutorial and training content
- 🎨 Well-chosen puzzles
- 🧠 Improves pattern recognition and tactics

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive
- 🐛 Crashes on iPhone and iPad
- 🐛 Buggy after recent update
- 🤔 Confusing interface and lack of instructions
- 🤔 Difficult for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on M1 Macs
- Doesnot work with iOS 13 dark mode
- Doesnot show board and pieces in exercises
- Cannot restore purchases
- Doesnot sync progress across devices

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve user interface and design
- Add more opening courses
- Provide better explanations for moves
- Allow resetting progress


### Chess Notation Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060)

Master chess squares and notation with this training app. Improve your ability to identify coordinates, translate moves, and visualize the board, even without one. Ideal for serious players looking to enhance calculation speed and chess understanding.

**Highlights:** Identify squares by coordinate, Translate move sequences to notation, Determine square color instantly, Stay oriented on the board, Follow chess tutorials without a board, Speed up calculation, Practice blind chess

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess King free?

Chess King is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess Notation Trainer free?

Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess King or Chess Notation Trainer?

Chess King is rated higher. Chess King averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Chess Notation Trainer averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.

### Do Chess King or Chess Notation Trainer have ads?

Chess King shows ads; Chess Notation Trainer does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess King or Chess Notation Trainer?

Chess King ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. Most recently, Chess King was updated on September 25, 2026 and Chess Notation Trainer on September 7, 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.*