Comparison

Readlax vs AroundChess

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Readlax

Enhance cognitive skills with a suite of tools including memory games, speed reading exercises, and a habit tracker. Improve focus, learn touch typing, and organize knowledge with smart note-taking features.

Highlights
  • Habit tracker
  • Memory games
  • Speed reading exercises
  • Smart note-taking
  • Focus timer
  • Touch typing training
Features
Read full description

Readlax - All-In-One Productivity Super App: - Habit tracker - Memory games - Speed reading - Smart notes - Focus timer Readlax provides the most popular and effective productivity apps on one platform: daily habit tracker, memory games, speed reading, focus and concentration, and note-taking. Habit tracker is a tool designed to help you monitor and build daily habits or routines. Memory games are games designed to challenge and improve memory skills. Most popular Readlax memory games: "Memory Grid", "Memory Number", and "Card Match". Speed reading is a technique designed to help people read texts faster than usual. It often involves minimizing subvocalization and expanding peripheral vision. Readlax provides many speed reading exercises: "Letter Grid", "Bigram", "Trigram", "Subvocalization". Readlax users improve their reading speed by an average of 50% in 2 weeks. Touch typing - the skill of typing without looking at the keys. Readlax has 37 touch typing exercises. Smart note-taking (slip-box method or “Zettelkasten”) - an effective note-taking method to store and organize your knowledge. Focus timer - a time management method based on 25-minute stretches of focused work broken by 5-minute breaks. HOW DOES IT WORK? - Play memory games; - Read books and news; - Train reading speed; - Train typing speed; - Take smart notes. Use the tracker to monitor your progress in memory games and speed reading training. Use notes to build a personal knowledge system. The focus timer will help you stay focused. REVIEWS: - "I engage in memory games every day" - "The speed reading modules have helped improve my reading speed" - "You should definitely try these memory games and speed reading exercises" - "“Memory Number” and “Card Match” are two of the loveliest games I’ve ever played" READLAX PRO PRICING & TERMS We offer the following Pro subscriptions: Monthly: $8.99 USD per month Annual: $44.99 USD per year Lifetime: $199.99 USD These prices are for United States customers. Pricing in other countries may vary, and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on your country of residence. Privacy Policy: https://www.readlax.com/legal/privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://www.readlax.com/legal/terms

About

AroundChess

Analyze your chess games with detailed metrics, track your progress with interactive charts, and train with tactical puzzles and endgame scenarios. Experiment with positions in an interactive playground to improve your strategy and win more games.

Highlights
  • Deep game analysis with PGN import and Chess.com linking
  • Move-by-move accuracy metrics and mistake breakdowns
  • Opening explorer with success rate statistics
  • Interactive rating charts and win/loss/draw stats
  • Endgame and tactical drills powered by Stockfish
  • Interactive playground for position experimentation
Features
Read full description

PLAY CHESS. IMPROVE YOUR GAME. CLIMB THE LEADERBOARD. AroundChess is your personal chess playground and training companion. Play against 70+ AI opponents across different skill levels, earn Elo with every game, analyze your mistakes, and build your chess skills through targeted training. Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your game, AroundChess gives you everything you need to play, learn, and improve. PLAY AGAINST 70+ AI OPPONENTS Choose from more than 70 AI opponents with different Elo ratings and playing styles. Find the right challenge for your level - or push yourself against a stronger opponent. Every rated game gives you the chance to earn Elo and improve your position on the leaderboard. CLIMB THE LEADERBOARD See how your Elo compares with other AroundChess players. Track your progress, move up the rankings, and compete with players from around the world. Can you make it to the top? ANALYZE YOUR MISTAKES Every game is an opportunity to learn. Analyze your games to discover mistakes, missed opportunities, and critical moments. Understand what went wrong and why, so you can avoid the same mistakes in your next game. TRAIN YOUR CHESS SKILLS Improve specific parts of your game with fun and challenging training exercises: • Chess Puzzles - Test your tactical skills • Board Vision - Improve your ability to see the board • Endgame Training - Master essential endgame positions Train your weaknesses and turn them into strengths. BUILD YOUR PERSONALIZED TRAINING PLAN Create a training plan tailored to your goals and focus on the areas where you need the most improvement. Whether you want to sharpen your tactics, improve your board vision, or master common positions, AroundChess helps you train with purpose. LEARN WITH THE CHESS HANDBOOK Explore common chess scenarios and learn how to handle them with confidence. The Chess Handbook gives you practical knowledge you can apply directly to your games. YOUR GAMES. YOUR PROGRESS. YOUR CHESS. Play against AI. Earn Elo. Analyze your mistakes. Train your skills. Climb the leaderboard. Start your chess journey with AroundChess. AroundChess Premium Subscription: Upgrade to AroundChess Premium and unlock full access to advanced features, unlimited analysis, exclusive puzzles, and priority insights tailored to your growth. Whether you’re reviewing your latest tournament games, diving into tactical puzzles, or mastering endgames, AroundChess Premium gives you everything you need to play smarter and win more. Subscription Terms: Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your Account Settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://aroundchess.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Readlax4 screens
AroundChess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Readlax at 95% against AroundChess's 17%. Readlax also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.2) and ads (none vs shown). AroundChess's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Readlax sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and AroundChess sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Readlax holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Readlax has 55 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Readlax's written reviews are positive against 17% of AroundChess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Readlax ships an update monthly, AroundChess every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Readlax versus AroundChess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReadlaxAroundChess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (55 ratings) — better2.2 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews94.7% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings55 — better6
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB157 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReadlax, Inc.aroundchess AG

Customer experience

Readlax

All ratings46 ratings
Positive89.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive94.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.3%

AroundChess

All ratings6 ratings
Positive16.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

Bugs and requests

Readlax

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Trial period confusion leading to unexpected charges
  • Difficulty understanding game stages/instructions
  • Visual clarity issues with text/background colors
  • Specific game glitches (e.g., Memory Number marking correct answers as incorrect)
  • App not working well on iPhone for one user
Show 2 more
  • Workout calendar not updating instantly
  • Some users unable to progress past the first game

Requested features

10 requests
  • Improve UI for better navigation
  • Add more game variety to reduce repetitiveness
  • Include a 'How to use the app' section
  • Add social media sharing for scores
  • Improve visibility of text in certain games
Show 5 more
  • Add reading aloud functionality
  • More reading material in Spanish
  • Option to select other articles
  • Add third level of complexity for some games
  • More puzzles and games

AroundChess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Readlax

Subscriptions4
  • Readlax PRO Monthly$4.991 Month
  • $5.99/month Subscription$5.991 Month
  • Readlax PRO Monthly$8.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Readlax PRO Yearly$44.991 Year
One-time1
  • Readlax for Life, billed once$199.99
9 purchases

AroundChess

Subscriptions6
  • Monthly Premium Subscription2 variants$4.491 Month
  • Premium Subscription (Monthly)1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • Premium Subscription (Monthly)$9.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • 6-Month Premium Subscription$19.996 Months
  • Yearly Premium Subscription$39.991 Year
  • Premium Subscription (Yearly)$79.991 Year
One-time3
  • 1 Analysis Token$0.49
  • 5 Analysis Tokens$1.49
  • 10 Analysis Tokens$2.79

Questions

Is Readlax free?
Readlax is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AroundChess free?
AroundChess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Readlax or AroundChess?
Readlax is rated higher. Readlax averages 4.5 out of 5 from 55 ratings, while AroundChess averages 2.2 from 6 ratings.
Do Readlax or AroundChess have ads?
AroundChess shows ads; Readlax does not.
Which is updated more often, Readlax or AroundChess?
Readlax ships an update monthly, and AroundChess every 2 weeks. Most recently, Readlax was updated on November 3, 2026 and AroundChess on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons