Comparison

PVChess vs ChessFlare

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PVChess

Enhance your chess abilities with an AI tutor, challenging computer opponents, and interactive lessons. Analyze your games, learn strategies, and practice guided play to master openings, tactics, and endgames.

Highlights
  • AI tutor with hints
  • Strong computer opponents
  • Interactive lessons
  • Opening and endgame training
  • Game review and analysis
  • Save and replay games
Features
Read full description

Improve your chess with an AI tutor, strong computer opponents, interactive lessons, and detailed game reviews. Learn openings, tactics, middlegames, and endgames with smart hints and move-by-move feedback. Play at your own level, analyze mistakes, and build stronger chess skills through guided practice. The app also includes two interactive classic chess books: Chess Fundamentals and Modern Ideas in Chess. Study timeless strategies, annotated games, and essential chess concepts directly inside the app. Features: * AI tutor with hints and feedback * Strong computer opponents * Interactive lessons and practice * Opening and endgame training * Game review and analysis * Save and replay games anytime

About

ChessFlare

Master chess openings, endgames, and strategy with structured courses and personalized learning. Organize your repertoire, memorize lines with spaced repetition, and analyze your games to identify and fix mistakes. Improve your chess skills with a comprehensive workflow.

Highlights
  • Structured chess courses
  • Opening repertoire management
  • Spaced repetition memorization
  • Game analysis and review
  • Detailed progress statistics
  • Interactive move tree exploration
  • Cross-device synchronization
Features
Read full description

Learn chess in depth with complete COURSES on openings, endgames, strategy, and the key concepts of the game. Improve step by step with structured content tailored to your level, helping you better understand and apply the right ideas in your games. CREATE AND ORGANIZE YOUR REPERTOIRE Easily build and manage your opening and study database: import and edit PGN files, organize your lines into clear variations and chapters, and add annotations and comments. Everything is gathered in one powerful and intuitive space. MEMORIZE FASTER WITH SPACED REPETITION Turn your lines into lasting reflexes with a smart spaced repetition system based on SM2. Reviews are automatically scheduled at the right time and adapt to your performance, helping you learn efficiently without overload and retain key openings over time. ANALYZE YOUR GAMES AND FIX YOUR MISTAKES Turn every game into an opportunity to improve by syncing your games from Chess.com and Lichess. Identify key moments, spot important mistakes, and focus on what truly helps you progress. GAME REVIEW After each game, get a clear and useful summary: key moments, decisive mistakes, and practical suggestions for improvement. Quickly understand what made the difference and adjust your play. DETAILED STATISTICS Track your progress with precise data: success rate by opening, types and frequency of mistakes, and performance trends over time. Clearly identify your strengths and areas for improvement. TRAIN ON YOUR WEAKNESSES Stop wasting time on generic exercises. Work directly on your weak points with targeted sessions and a personalized approach tailored to your level. EXPLORE YOUR LINES WITH AN INTERACTIVE TREE Visualize and understand all your lines with a clear interface featuring an interactive move tree, built-in Stockfish analysis, and easy exploration of key positions. Make better decisions by truly understanding your openings. SYNC ACROSS ALL YOUR DEVICES Work anytime, anywhere, on desktop or mobile. Your data is synchronized in real time in the cloud, allowing you to switch seamlessly between study and training. Your progress is always up to date and accessible. PLAY MODE Practice directly on the board with a dedicated Play mode designed to help you apply what you learn in real game situations. Train against positions, test your understanding, and turn theory into practical chess skills. A COMPLETE WORKFLOW TO IMPROVE Unlike traditional tools, ChessFlare brings everything together in one system: repertoire creation, learning, review, analysis, and progress tracking. Improve faster with a clear and efficient workflow. WHO IS CHESSFLARE FOR? ChessFlare is designed for beginners and advanced players, competitive players who want to structure their preparation, coaches and students, as well as anyone passionate about openings and game analysis. Terms of Use : https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PVChess3 screens
ChessFlare4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PVChess at none against ChessFlare's 10. PVChess also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (23 vs 3). ChessFlare's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ChessFlare sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.49 per month. PVChess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PVChess holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PVChess has 23 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of PVChess's written reviews are positive against 79% of ChessFlare's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PVChess ships an update every 2 months, ChessFlare every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
PVChess versus ChessFlare: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPVChessChessFlare
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (23 ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews78.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings23 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB123 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperJianfeng WuAnakyos

Customer experience

PVChess

All ratings23 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive70.8%
Neutral8.3%
Negative20.8%

ChessFlare

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%

In-app purchases

None

PVChess

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

ChessFlare

Subscriptions5
  • Pro Monthly$8.491 Month
  • ChessFlare Creator Referral -50%1 Month trial$24.991 Year
  • ChessFlare Pro Yearly$33.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$69.001 Year
  • ChessFlare Pro Family$109.001 Year
One-time5
  • 100 couronnes$0.99
  • 500 couronnes$3.99
  • 1 200 couronnes$6.99
Show 2 more
  • 2 500 couronnes$12.99
  • Pro Lifetime$144.99

Questions

Is PVChess free?
PVChess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ChessFlare free?
ChessFlare is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PVChess or ChessFlare?
PVChess is rated higher. PVChess averages 4.7 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while ChessFlare averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do PVChess or ChessFlare have ads?
PVChess shows ads; ChessFlare does not.
Which is updated more often, PVChess or ChessFlare?
PVChess ships an update every 2 months, and ChessFlare every 10 days. Most recently, PVChess was updated on November 2, 2026 and ChessFlare on November 6, 2026.

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