# ChessPen vs PGN Chess Recorder

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PGN Chess Recorder at 100% against ChessPen's 0%. PGN Chess Recorder also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 25 months). ChessPen's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.5). 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.

PGN Chess Recorder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of ChessPen's written reviews are positive against 100% of PGN Chess Recorder's.

ChessPen ships an update every 25 months, PGN Chess Recorder every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChessPen | PGN Chess Recorder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesspen/id1605281063/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pgn-chess-recorder/id6791966043/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ENVISIONAIRY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1605281065) | [Philipp Guntermann](https://appshunter.io/developer/6791966045) |

## 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


### PGN Chess Recorder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pgn-chess-recorder/id6791966043)

Record chess games by speaking moves. The app updates the board live and builds a move list, which can be exported as PGN. It's useful for older devices, over-the-board play, training, and analysis.

**Highlights:** Voice dictation for chess moves, Live board updates, PGN export, On-device engine analysis, Move quality assessment, Interactive board with navigation

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChessPen free?

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

### Is PGN Chess Recorder free?

PGN Chess Recorder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ChessPen or PGN Chess Recorder?

PGN Chess Recorder is rated higher. ChessPen averages 4.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while PGN Chess Recorder averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do ChessPen or PGN Chess Recorder have ads?

Neither ChessPen nor PGN Chess Recorder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChessPen or PGN Chess Recorder?

ChessPen ships an update every 25 months, and PGN Chess Recorder every 2 days. Most recently, ChessPen was updated on October 30, 2026 and PGN Chess Recorder on October 31, 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.*