# Chess Openings vs Chess Notation Lab

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Notation Lab at 5.0 against Chess Openings's 3.2. Chess Notation Lab also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and ads (none vs shown). Chess Openings's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess Openings sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Notation Lab sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess Notation Lab holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Chess Openings's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess Notation Lab's.

Chess Openings ships an update every 4 months, Chess Notation Lab every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Openings | Chess Notation Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-train-retain/id1459782470/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-lab/id6480255515/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 60 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hodgepodge Apps LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1215143588) | [Nishat Majid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727207034) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Openings

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-openings-train-retain/id1459782470)

Master chess openings with this trainer. Memorize popular professional game sequences, explore over 1750 openings, and test your recall with randomized drills. Learn a new opening daily to enhance your chess strategy.

**Highlights:** Memorize popular openings, Explore 1750+ openings, Test memory with randomized openings, Daily opening learning, Learn grandmaster variations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Engine | $2.99 | one-time |
| Extra Openings | $3.99 | one-time |


### Chess Notation Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-lab/id6480255515)

Master chess board coordinates and piece movement with this training app. Improve your ability to visualize moves, read notation, and understand square colors. Designed to enhance your chess calculations and potentially boost your rating.

**Highlights:** Identify squares by coordinate, Fluid piece movement visualization, Translate moves to notation, Identify square color, Orient on the board, Speed up calculation, Blind chess practice

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Openings free?

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

### Is Chess Notation Lab free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess Openings or Chess Notation Lab?

Chess Notation Lab is rated higher. Chess Openings averages 3.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Chess Notation Lab averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do Chess Openings or Chess Notation Lab have ads?

Chess Openings shows ads; Chess Notation Lab does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Openings or Chess Notation Lab?

Chess Openings ships an update every 4 months, and Chess Notation Lab every 3 days. Most recently, Chess Openings was updated on October 7, 2026 and Chess Notation Lab on October 14, 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.*