DGT Chess vs Chessnut Next
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DGT Chess
Connect your physical chess board to an online platform to play against real opponents worldwide. Enjoy a focused game experience with moves displayed on your board via LED rings. Save and share your games.
- Connect physical board to Lichess
- Play against 100,000+ real opponents
- Moves displayed via LED rings on board
- Play against Lichess AI
- Save and share games
- Offline 2-player mode
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DGT Chess app connects your DGT Pegasus online Chess board to the global chess community Lichess, where you can find 100.000+ real opponents. After connecting with an opponent, you can put your phone away and concentrate fully on the board. You will see your opponent’s moves via pulsing LED rings on the board. Features • Play online against a random opponent • Play online against a friend • Play against the Lichess AI • Choose between rated or unrated games • Play over the board or on touchscreen • Play an offline and traditional 2-player game • PGN creator; save, share your favorite games DGT Pegasus The first dedicated board to play online connects also to the following chess apps • White pawn • Chessconnect ABOUT DGT DGT brings the best and most innovative chess products to players around the world. We are dedicated to creating unmatched chess experiences at tournaments, chess clubs and at home. DGT designs, develops, manufactures and distributes a wide range of chess-related products worldwide, such as digital chess clocks and game timers, as well as electronic chess boards, chess computers and chess accessories.
Chessnut Next
Enhance your chess experience by connecting a smart board to digitally record, analyze, and practice your games. Play against AI, review your moves with detailed reports, and train your skills with puzzles and human-like engines.
- Smart board connection
- Play against chess engines
- Online chess support
- Automatic game recording
- Local Stockfish analysis
- Tactical training
- Game review reports
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Chessnut Next is the companion app for Chessnut smart chessboards, bringing physical chess and digital tools together in one seamless experience. Connect a compatible Chessnut board to play naturally with real pieces while the app synchronizes positions, records moves, and saves your games automatically. Whether you are playing against a computer, practicing tactics, reviewing a finished game, or playing face-to-face, Chessnut Next helps you get more from every move. Key Features • Smart Board Connection Connect a compatible Chessnut electronic chessboard and synchronize physical positions with the app in real time. • Play Against Chess Engines Challenge computer opponents with different strengths and playing styles using either a physical board or the on-screen board. • Online Chess Support Use a compatible physical board with supported online chess platforms for a more natural playing experience. • Automatic Game Recording Create and save complete PGN records, including moves, players, results, and time information. • Local Stockfish Analysis Review games with on-device Stockfish analysis to explore evaluations, recommended moves, and critical mistakes. • Maia and Personalized Practice Train against human-like chess engines designed to provide realistic play across different skill levels. • Game Review Reports Generate easy-to-understand reports that highlight strong moves, mistakes, turning points, and opportunities to improve. • Puzzles and Tactical Training Improve calculation, pattern recognition, and practical decision-making with chess puzzles and focused exercises. • Board Editor and Position Recognition Create custom positions manually or use supported image-recognition features to extract a chess position from a photo. • Voice Moves In supported game modes, speak origin and destination squares to enter moves hands-free. • Chess Clock and Over-the-Board Play Record face-to-face games and manage player time with compatible Chessnut devices. • Game Library and Sharing Browse saved games, filter records by source, refresh game data, and share games or review results. • Multiple Languages Choose from a range of interface and content languages. From your first move to detailed post-game review, Chessnut Next combines smart-board connectivity, game recording, engine analysis, and training tools in one app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Chessnut Next at 5.0 against DGT Chess's 3.7. Chessnut Next also leads on ratings volume (31 vs 6). DGT Chess's advantage is review sentiment (22% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On price, update cadence, 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.
Chessnut Next holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chessnut Next has 31 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 22% of DGT Chess's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
DGT Chess ships an update monthly, Chessnut Next every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DGT Chess | Chessnut Next |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.7 (6 ratings) | 5.0 (31 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 22.2% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 31 — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 369 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Digital Game Technology B.V. | Xenx Technology Limited |
Customer experience
DGT Chess
Chessnut Next
In-app purchases
DGT Chess
No in-app purchases
Chessnut Next
No in-app purchases








