Chess Opener Lite vs ChessM8
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Chess Opener Lite
Master chess openings with an interactive trainer and comprehensive database. Build and memorize your own repertoire, compare variations, and track your progress. Works offline and offers extensive opening exploration.
- Chess opening tree with game statistics
- Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO)
- Build and edit opening repertoire
- Interactive opening trainer
- Offline functionality
- PGN export
- Progress tracking
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Features: - Chess opening tree with game statistics - The Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) - Compare ECO and opening tree moves side by side in any position - Export chess openings in PGN format - Build your own opening repertoire - Add or edit comments on moves - Automatically classify any sequence of moves using the ECO system - Chess opening explorer highlights moves already in your repertoire - Chess database includes all transpositions - Interactive trainer to memorize your chess openings and variations - Train multiple variations at once against random opponent moves from your repertoire - Set up a starting position for training - Track your training progress - Customize chessboard colors and chess pieces - Supports dark mode - Works completely offline CHESS OPENING EXPLORER Search in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings or browse the chess opening tree. Swipe left or right to switch between the exploration features in any position. BUILD YOUR OPENING REPERTOIRE Add your favorite opening lines to your repertoire using the chess opening explorer. You can always edit the names of your openings and organize them in your repertoire. OPENING TRAINER A simple and efficient method to memorize variations of openings in your repertoire. You can train either white’s moves or black’s moves only or both. Optionally, you can train all variations at once. The trainer chooses the opponent’s moves randomly from your opening repertoire. Chess Opener tracks your progress and shows your stats. Upgrade to Chess Opener PRO to unlock more features: - Unlimited repertoire size - Unlimited depth of openings - 6x larger opening tree with game statistics - Database of top 100+ grandmasters’ repertoires - Powerful chess engine analysis - Import openings in PGN format
ChessM8
Engage in correspondence chess with players globally. Plan your moves, communicate with opponents, and invite others to spectate your matches. Receive post-game analysis from a computer engine.
- Correspondence chess play
- Global player matchmaking
- Move planning tools
- In-game chat functionality
- Spectator mode for games
- Post-game computer analysis
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This app allows players around the world to play correspondence chess. It allows players to plan moves, chat with each other, invite others to watch games. It also provides a computer analysis after games are completed.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ChessM8 at 100% against Chess Opener Lite's 43%. ChessM8 also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ChessM8 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Chess Opener Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of ChessM8's.
Chess Opener Lite ships an update every 5 weeks, ChessM8 every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on August 18, 2026.
| Parameter | Chess Opener Lite | ChessM8 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (17 ratings) | 5.0 (15 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Stanislav Basovnik | Corneliu Lupu |
Customer experience
Chess Opener Lite
ChessM8
In-app purchases
Chess Opener Lite
No in-app purchases
ChessM8
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Chess Opener Lite free?
Is ChessM8 free?
Which has better reviews, Chess Opener Lite or ChessM8?
Do Chess Opener Lite or ChessM8 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Chess Opener Lite or ChessM8?
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