# Chess puzzles! vs Noctie Chess Trainer

The clearest difference is monetization model: Chess puzzles! at free with in-app purchases against Noctie Chess Trainer's subscription. Chess puzzles! also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). Noctie Chess Trainer's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess puzzles! sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Noctie Chess Trainer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $13.90 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Chess puzzles! against 4.7 for Noctie Chess Trainer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 639 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of Chess puzzles!'s written reviews are positive against 74% of Noctie Chess Trainer's.

Chess puzzles! ships an update every 6 weeks, Noctie Chess Trainer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess puzzles! | Noctie Chess Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles/id1472604043/reviews)** | [4.7 (639 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctie-chess-trainer/id6444289077/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 639 |
| Positive reviews | **78.0% of reviews** | 74.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 15 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Erik Brandsma](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472604042) | [Noctie AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653607549) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess puzzles!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-puzzles/id1472604043)

Engage in mind-teasing chess challenges designed for all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned players. Test your strategic thinking with various puzzle difficulties and enjoy a fun variation of the classic board game.

**Highlights:** Tutorial levels for beginners, Simple tap and drag controls, Mate in 1 challenges, Mate in 2 challenges, Alternate chess challenges, Categorized difficulty levels

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fun pack! | $0.99 | one-time |
| Human vs machine | $0.99 | one-time |
| Funky moves | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove all ads | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Challenging and engaging puzzles
- 👍 No ads or in-app purchases
- 👍 Helpful for improving chess skills
- 👍 Fun and enjoyable experience
- 👍 Realistic and creative puzzles

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some puzzles have no solution or are buggy
- 🔍 Lack of explanations or feedback on wrong moves
- 🔍 Repetitive puzzle types (e.g., queen sacrifices)
- 🔍 Inefficient navigation between puzzles

**Reported bugs**

- Puzzle with no solution ("Mate in 3 - Queen pack - AAAAAAAY-OH")
- Puzzle solution not recognized ("you have one move only ;)")

**Requested features**

- Reset puzzle option
- Next puzzle button
- Ability to make wrong moves in puzzles
- Puzzle solution hints or explanations


### Noctie Chess Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/noctie-chess-trainer/id6444289077)

This app offers a unique chess training experience by simulating human opponents who adapt to your skill level. It provides instant feedback, custom puzzles from your games, and tools to master openings and endgames. Designed for serious improvement, it focuses on deliberate practice without distractions.

**Highlights:** Human-like AI opponents, Adaptive difficulty levels, Opening repertoire training, Instant move feedback, Puzzles from your games, Position builder, Endgame lessons

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Club Noctie | $13.90 | per month |
| Club Noctie Yearly | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning chess
- 💡 Realistic time management simulation
- 🚀 Improves chess skills quickly
- 💡 Human-like play style
- 💡 Flashcard system for mistakes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Blunders mislabeled
- 👎 Subscription required for themes
- 👎 Limited free content
- 👎 Puzzles are basic
- 👎 AI doesn't coach

**Reported bugs**

- Lost opening library and progress after update
- User flow to rebuild opening library is terrible
- Material difference calculation breaks with promoted queens
- Layout cuts off chessboard in portrait mode on iPad
- AI doesn't adjust strength based on user rating

**Requested features**

- Lifetime tier option
- Realistic time management for bots
- Dark mode
- Choice of colors and chessboards
- Import games from Lichess/Chess.com for flashcards


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess puzzles! free?

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

### Is Noctie Chess Trainer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess puzzles! or Noctie Chess Trainer?

Chess puzzles! is rated higher. Chess puzzles! averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Noctie Chess Trainer averages 4.7 from 639 ratings.

### Do Chess puzzles! or Noctie Chess Trainer have ads?

Neither Chess puzzles! nor Noctie Chess Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess puzzles! or Noctie Chess Trainer?

Chess puzzles! ships an update every 6 weeks, and Noctie Chess Trainer every 3 weeks. Most recently, Chess puzzles! was updated on November 3, 2026 and Noctie Chess Trainer on November 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*