Comparison

Blither vs Chess Academy

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

Head to head
About

Blither

A two-player abstract strategy game where players move and place pieces to capture territory. Win by surrounding opponent pieces or groups. Offers AI and local multiplayer modes with customizable boards and multiple win conditions.

Highlights
  • Move and place pieces
  • Capture by surrounding
  • Play against AI
  • Local human multiplayer
  • Customizable board sizes
  • Multiple win conditions
  • Dark mode support
Features
Read full description

Blither is a simple capture and territory game for two players. Turns are simple: MOVE a piece, then PLACE a piece. Capture by surrounding one of each of your opponent's piece types (or a group of pieces of the same type) to win the game! The app features: - play against AI or human opponents (on the same device) - play a custom game on larger or smaller boards - multiple win condition (play "high score mode" for a different experience!) - the app supports dark mode via your system settings (or you can choose from the options screen) - saves various statistics

About

Chess Academy

Learn chess with a structured curriculum, interactive lessons, and tactical puzzles. Play against an AI opponent with adjustable difficulty and track your progress. Offers a complete chess education without ads or subscriptions.

Highlights
  • Structured learning path
  • Interactive lessons and quizzes
  • Tactical puzzles with hints
  • Adjustable AI opponent
  • Game tracking and ELO rating
  • Multiple time controls
Read full description

Finally, a chess app designed for learning, not monetization. No ads interrupting your games. No paywalls blocking lessons. No subscriptions. Just pure chess education for one simple price. WHY CHESS ACADEMY? Most chess apps are built for experienced players or cluttered with ads. Chess Academy was built from the ground up to teach chess properly, with clear explanations and interactive examples that actually make sense. STRUCTURED LEARNING PATH Start with how each piece moves, then progress through special rules like castling and en passant. Learn why openings are named after cities and players. Understand tactical patterns like forks, pins, and the famous Greek Gift sacrifice. Each lesson includes interactive boards and quizzes to cement your understanding. PUZZLES THAT BUILD REAL SKILLS Three difficulty levels with carefully curated positions. Each puzzle teaches a specific pattern you'll recognize in your own games. Hints when you're stuck. Stats to track which tactics need more work. PLAY AND IMPROVE Face an AI opponent adjustable from 400 to 1600 rating. Choose your time control or play untimed while learning. Track your ELO rating as you improve. Compete in match play or mini tournaments when you're ready. EVERYTHING INCLUDED - 20+ interactive lessons from beginner to advanced - Famous games from chess history with commentary - Dozens of tactical puzzles - Multiple time controls: Bullet, Blitz, Rapid - Game Center achievements and leaderboards - iCloud sync across your devices NO TRICKS, JUST CHESS One price. Everything unlocked. Learn at your own pace without being nagged to upgrade or watch ads. Chess Academy respects your time and your intelligence. Start playing better chess today.

Screenshots

Blither4 screens
Chess Academy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Blither at 5.0 against Chess Academy's 4.0. Chess Academy's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

Blither costs $0.99 and Chess Academy $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Blither holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blither ships an update every 2 months, Chess Academy every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Blither versus Chess Academy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlitherChess Academy
Price$0.99$0.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartin GriderThomas Gamull

Customer experience

Blither

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Chess Academy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Blither

No in-app purchases

None

Chess Academy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blither free?
Blither costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Academy free?
Chess Academy costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blither or Chess Academy?
Blither is rated higher. Blither averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Chess Academy averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Blither or Chess Academy have ads?
Neither Blither nor Chess Academy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blither or Chess Academy?
Blither ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Academy every 3 days. Most recently, Blither was updated on November 3, 2026 and Chess Academy on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons