Comparison

Chess Knowledge vs MainLine

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

Head to head
About

Chess Knowledge

Features
Read full description

It's time to learn interactive chess courses with activity-based solving! Our courses have hundreds of activities from various learning levels. The different types of interactive activities help you digest the information easily. 1) Explanation Activity: This will teach you a concept in a concise way. 2) Capture Activity: The most fun and engaging way to learn piece movements and captures. 3) Puzzle Activity: Solve interesting puzzles and tactics from a given position. 4) MCQ Activity: Test your knowledge with quiz-based multiple-choice questions. 5) Play with Computer: Train your skills by practicing must-know positions with the computer.

About

MainLine

This app helps improve your chess skills by focusing on pattern recognition. It uses spaced repetition to reinforce tactical motifs and endgame ideas, allowing you to create interactive drills from your own games to remember what matters most.

Highlights
  • Spaced repetition for pattern recall
  • Interactive drills from own games
  • Import Chess.com & Lichess games
  • Tactics, endgame, and puzzle training
  • Daily reminders and progress tracking
  • Daily puzzle challenges
Features
Read full description

MainLine is a chess trainer built for pattern recognition. Use spaced repetition to remember tactical motifs, endgame ideas, and positions from your own games instead of rereading them and forgetting them. Import your Chess.com or Lichess games, find the mistakes and recurring themes that cost you points, and turn them into short interactive drills you can review in minutes. Why players use MainLine: - Spaced repetition that surfaces the patterns you're most likely to forget - Interactive drills that build fast recall on the board - Game import from Chess.com and Lichess for targeted review - Training for tactics, endgames, puzzle themes, and critical lines - Daily reminders, streaks, and progress tracking - Challenge yourself with daily puzzles Whether you're sharpening tactical awareness, improving pattern recognition, or making game review more useful, MainLine helps you remember what matters. Download MainLine and turn review into stronger chess instincts. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chess Knowledge4 screens
MainLine4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess Knowledge at none against MainLine's 2. Chess Knowledge also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). MainLine's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). 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. MainLine sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Chess Knowledge asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Knowledge ships an update monthly, MainLine weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Chess Knowledge versus MainLine: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess KnowledgeMainLine
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
Ads—Yes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChess Knowledge FZEBenjamin Boucher

In-app purchases

None

Chess Knowledge

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

MainLine

Subscriptions2
  • MainLine Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • MainLine Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Chess Knowledge free?
Chess Knowledge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MainLine free?
MainLine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which is updated more often, Chess Knowledge or MainLine?
Chess Knowledge ships an update monthly, and MainLine weekly. Most recently, Chess Knowledge was updated on October 27, 2026 and MainLine on October 24, 2026.

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