# ChessPen vs Board Brain

The clearest difference is rating: Board Brain at 5.0 against ChessPen's 4.3. Board Brain also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 25 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Board Brain holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 3 respectively.

ChessPen ships an update every 25 months, Board Brain every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChessPen | Board Brain |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesspen/id1605281063/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/board-brain/id6482852806/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ENVISIONAIRY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605281065) | [Selvarajan Thangavel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1482739883) |

## What reviewers say

### ChessPen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesspen/id1605281063)

Record and manage chess games with a user-friendly interface. This app offers robust data storage and export options for players of all levels, from casual to tournament participants.

**Highlights:** Chess notation recording, Sleek interface, Easy-to-use UI, Powerful data storage, Data export capabilities

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Board Brain

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/board-brain/id6482852806)

This app helps chess players of all levels enhance their skills through interactive games and exercises. It focuses on mastering chessboard coordinates, understanding piece movements, and recognizing square colors to improve overall game vision.

**Highlights:** Interactive games, Skill-building exercises, Chessboard coordinate mastery, Piece movement understanding, Square color recognition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChessPen free?

ChessPen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Board Brain free?

Board Brain is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ChessPen or Board Brain?

Board Brain is rated higher. ChessPen averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Board Brain averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do ChessPen or Board Brain have ads?

Neither ChessPen nor Board Brain shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChessPen or Board Brain?

ChessPen ships an update every 25 months, and Board Brain every 6 days. Most recently, ChessPen was updated on October 12, 2026 and Board Brain on October 15, 2026.

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