# Aimchess vs MainLine

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MainLine at 100% against Aimchess's 51%. MainLine also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.9) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Aimchess's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (197 vs 6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aimchess sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and MainLine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

MainLine holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aimchess has 197 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Aimchess's written reviews are positive against 100% of MainLine's.

Aimchess ships an update monthly, MainLine weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aimchess | MainLine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (197 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aimchess-learn-chess-online/id1524941307/reviews) | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mainline-chess-trainer/id6761091619/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **197** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 50.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Benjamin Boucher](https://appshunter.io/developer/1887753878) |

## What reviewers say

### Aimchess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aimchess-learn-chess-online/id1524941307)

Enhance your chess skills with advanced analytics and personalized training. Connect your existing chess accounts to receive tailored study plans based on your game history. Master tactics, openings, and endgames with adaptive exercises and expert-prepared content.

**Highlights:** Personalized Study Plans, Game Analysis, Adaptive Tactics Puzzles, Blindfold Tactics, Checkmate Flash Cards, Grandmaster Content

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Membership | $9.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium Membership | $71.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Personalized training based on actual game mistakes
- 📊 Detailed game analysis and statistics insights
- 🎯 Unique training exercises (opening trainer, intuition trainer, 360 trainer)
- 📈 Effective for chess improvement when working properly
- 💰 Affordable pricing compared to alternatives

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing issues
- 🔐 Persistent login and authentication problems
- 💳 Billing and subscription management issues
- 🎨 Poor UI/UX design and confusing interface
- ⚡ Significant lag and performance issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when attempting to purchase premium subscription
- Logout occurring once per week
- Theme settings not persisting across sessions
- Full-screen white flash on app open
- App closes when selecting monthly subscription option

**Requested features**

- Better UI/UX organization and progressive disclosure
- Ability to save and review previous exercises
- Explanations for why moves are correct or incorrect
- Hint limiter for playground mode
- Daily streak tracker like Duolingo


### MainLine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mainline-chess-trainer/id6761091619)

This app helps improve your chess skills by focusing on pattern recognition. It uses spaced repetition to reinforce tactical motifs and endgame ideas, allowing you to create interactive drills from your own games to remember what matters most.

**Highlights:** Spaced repetition for pattern recall, Interactive drills from own games, Import Chess.com & Lichess games, Tactics, endgame, and puzzle training, Daily reminders and progress tracking, Daily puzzle challenges

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MainLine Pro (Monthly) | $7.99 | per month |
| MainLine Pro (Yearly) | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aimchess free?

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

### Is MainLine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Aimchess or MainLine?

MainLine is rated higher. Aimchess averages 3.9 out of 5 from 197 ratings, while MainLine averages 4.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do Aimchess or MainLine have ads?

MainLine shows ads; Aimchess does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aimchess or MainLine?

Aimchess ships an update monthly, and MainLine weekly. Most recently, Aimchess was updated on November 3, 2026 and MainLine on November 5, 2026.

---

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