Comparison

PVChess vs Magpie

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

Magpie

Features
Read full description

Magpie is a free molecular visualisation and scientific post-processing app for iPhone and iPad, designed for computational chemistry research, teaching and learning. KEY FEATURES • Open and inspect computational chemistry outputs, molecular coordinates, trajectories and volumetric data. • Explore interactive 3D structures, vibrational modes, reaction paths, spectra and potential-energy surfaces. • Export high-resolution PNG images with transparent backgrounds in standard mode or black backgrounds in red/blue 3D mode, ready for figures, presentations and teaching materials. • Export molecular structures and surfaces as GLB or USDZ 3D models, and trajectories, molecular vibrations and model rotation as USDZ animations. Save images and models to Files or share them through the system share menu. • Edit atoms, bonds and geometries, then optimise structures with UFF or MMFF94s force fields. • Generate quantum-chemistry input files, including ab initio molecular dynamics workflows, plus XYZ, MOL2, CIF and PDB files. • Play XYZ and DCD trajectories, inspect changing molecular structures and measurements, and visualise dynamic bonds and hydrogen bonds. • Visualise molecular orbitals with fast on-device GPU calculation, and explore signed CUBE scalar fields. Connect to a remote server running Multiwfn for additional wavefunction analysis. • Organise files locally, import from other apps, or connect to your SSH/SFTP server for remote file browsing and terminal work.

Screenshots

PVChess3 screens
Magpie4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Magpie at none against PVChess's shown. Magpie also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). PVChess's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PVChess ships an update every 2 months, Magpie every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PVChess versus Magpie: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPVChessMagpie
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (23 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews70.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB23 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperJianfeng WuYuchen Zhou

In-app purchases

None

PVChess

No in-app purchases

None

Magpie

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PVChess free?
PVChess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Magpie free?
Magpie is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PVChess or Magpie have ads?
PVChess shows ads; Magpie does not.
Which is updated more often, PVChess or Magpie?
PVChess ships an update every 2 months, and Magpie every 5 days. Most recently, PVChess was updated on November 2, 2026 and Magpie on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons