Comparison

ChessManual vs Valora Chess

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

Head to head
About

ChessManual

Master the game of chess with interactive lessons, puzzles, and classic game analysis. Suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players, it offers a comprehensive and engaging learning experience.

Highlights
  • Interactive chess puzzles
  • Games by world champions
  • Classic and modern chess strategies
  • Learn and play quests
  • Kid-friendly lessons
  • Comprehensive step-by-step lessons
  • Checkmate challenges
Features
Read full description

Learn chess in short, focused steps—and turn every idea into a move on the board. ChessManual is an interactive chess book for beginners, kids, parents, and club players who want a clear path from the rules to confident play. Instead of memorizing disconnected positions, you learn an idea, check your understanding, and practice it in a matching puzzle. BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION • Start with the board, piece movement, special rules, and basic checkmates. • Continue through tactics, positional ideas, strategy, openings, and endgames. • Answer quick questions inside lessons to make sure each idea sticks. • Return to reference articles whenever you want to review a concept. PRACTICE ON AN INTERACTIVE BOARD • Solve chess positions grouped by theme and difficulty. • See the goal and the side to move before every puzzle. • Ask for a hint when you need a nudge. • Work through checkmate challenges and practical tactical patterns. • Replay annotated games and learn from the plans of world champions. MAKE DAILY PROGRESS VISIBLE • Track completed lessons and puzzles. • Build a daily learning streak and unlock achievements. • Review your recent practice activity. • See accuracy and hint-use trends from your own moves. KNOW WHAT TO PRACTICE NEXT ChessManual turns your practice history into useful direction. Detailed Insights can highlight weak themes, compare performance by topic and difficulty, and recommend matching puzzles—so your next session starts with a clear goal. CHESSMANUAL PRO Upgrade when you are ready for: • Unlimited hints • Detailed progress and weak-topic insights • Personalized puzzle recommendations • Streak recovery without watching an ad • An ad-free learning experience The app is free to download and includes an optional ChessManual Pro subscription. Prices, billing periods, and any introductory offer are shown in the app before purchase and may vary by storefront. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled in your App Store account settings. Learn more and get support: https://slazarenko.com/apps/chess-learn-and-play/ Advertising information: https://slazarenko.com/app-ads.txt Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://slazarenko.com/privacy/

About

Valora Chess

Features
Read full description

Valora Chess is a structured chess training platform designed for coaches and students who want focused improvement through guided practice. The app helps chess coaches assign training tasks, track student progress, and manage learning in an organized way. Students receive clear assignments and work through puzzles and training exercises with accountability and structure. Valora Chess is built for serious learning and skill development, supporting chess academies, coaching groups, and individual training programs. Key Features • Coach and student onboarding • Assign chess puzzles and training tasks • Track completion and student progress • Organized coach–student training workflow • Secure account-based access Valora Chess is designed for structured chess education, helping coaches monitor development and helping students improve through disciplined, guided practice.

Screenshots

ChessManual4 screens
Valora Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Valora Chess at none against ChessManual's 2. Valora Chess also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). On price 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. ChessManual sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Valora Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChessManual ships an update every 2 months, Valora Chess every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ChessManual versus Valora Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChessManualValora Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS1614.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size116 MB164 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergei LazarenkoRavi Verma

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ChessManual

Subscriptions2
  • ChessManual Pro Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • ChessManual Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
None

Valora Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChessManual free?
ChessManual is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Valora Chess free?
Valora Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ChessManual or Valora Chess have ads?
ChessManual shows ads; Valora Chess does not.
Which is updated more often, ChessManual or Valora Chess?
ChessManual ships an update every 2 months, and Valora Chess every 5 days. Most recently, ChessManual was updated on October 30, 2026 and Valora Chess on October 25, 2026.

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