Comparison

Chess Move vs Chessmate

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

Head to head
About

Chess Move

This app helps chess players find the best moves using a powerful cloud-based engine. It allows users to set up board positions manually or via camera scan, and customize analysis depth and engine settings for in-depth game review.

Highlights
  • Best move calculation
  • Cloud-based Stockfish engine
  • Board setup via drag-and-drop
  • Camera position scanning
  • Customizable engine presets
  • Multiple analysis lines
Features
Read full description

Introducing ChessMovePro, the all-new powerful move calculator that lets users find the best move in seconds! The app calculates the best lines using powerful dedicated servers running Stockfish 16 in the cloud. ChessMovePro offers a wide variety of customizations that allow users to find the best move quickly. Users can set up their board by dragging and dropping pieces onto the setup board to match the app to their current board position. Next head over to the analysis screen where you can see the best moves and lines at a glance. Customize the engine preset in order to increase depth, get more lines, change the elo target or increase think time. ChessMovePro allows users to use their camera to scan chess positions and find the best moves to play within seconds. The dedicated Stockfish servers ensure only the best moves are shown and that users can analzye games at the highest level. In the settings, users can customize the look of their app with various boards and app colors. Upgrade to ChessMovePro in order to unlock the full suite of customizations for the app and take your experience to the next level! How do I use Chess Move Pro? After opening the app users first have to setup their chess board. Take advantage of the apps scanning feature and pull out your camera to caputre the position or place the chess pieces in the correct squares. Next hit the analyze button and Chess Move Pro will analyze your current chess position using cloud Stockfish 15.1 servers that will find the best next chess move for you to play. If you don't like the next chess move that the app suggests hit the re-calculate button in order to calculate a new best move for the current position. Terms and Conditions: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Chessmate

Analyze chess positions with multiple top-tier engines, including Stockfish. Customize engine settings, compare results, and explore any chess position with full FEN support. Ideal for serious players looking to sharpen their tactics and prepare for tournaments.

Highlights
  • Next Best Move Analyser
  • Multi-Engine Support (Stockfish)
  • Local & Remote Engines
  • Custom Engine Profiles
  • Time Travel Through Moves
  • Full FEN Support
  • Deep Engine Customisation
Features
Read full description

Chessmate is the ultimate companion for serious chess players and enthusiasts who want to go beyond the board. Analyse positions with unmatched precision, compare results from multiple top-tier chess engines (including Stockfish 16.1, 17 and 17.1), and dive deep into engine configuration - all in one sleek, powerful app. Whether you're prepping for a tournament or just want to sharpen your tactics, Chessmate lets you load, tweak, compare, and explore any chess position like never before. Local or remote engines, flexible setups, full FEN support - your next best move is always within reach. Key Features: > Next Best Move Analyser Instantly evaluate and visualise the optimal next move from any position using powerful chess engines. > Multi-Engine Support Run multiple engines side-by-side, including Stockfish 16.1, 17, and experimental builds — with more on the way! > Local & Remote Engines Use engines installed on your device or connect to remote ones for advanced cloud-based analysis. > Custom Engine Profiles Per Board Save multiple boards, each with their own engine configurations for tailored analysis. > Time Travel Through Moves Navigate backward and forward through board changes to revisit and reanalyse past positions. > Full FEN Support Easily load or export boards using the FEN format for seamless sharing and documentation. > Deep Engine Customisation Fine-tune engine options and search depth to match your strategy or test different scenarios.

Screenshots

Chess Move4 screens
Chessmate4 screens

Verdict

The call

Chess Move and Chessmate both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Chessmate's written reviews are positive against 27% of Chess Move's. Chessmate also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10). Chess Move's advantage is ratings volume (1.1K vs 3) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, rating, ads 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. Chess Move sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Chessmate asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Chess Move against 4.3 for Chessmate. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Move has 1.1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 27% of Chess Move's written reviews are positive against 67% of Chessmate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Move ships an update every 3 weeks, Chessmate every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess Move versus Chessmate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess MoveChessmate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (1.1K ratings)4.3 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.6% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.1K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB0 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSetse LLCEdward Mann

Customer experience

Chess Move

All ratings1,133 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral3.1%
Negative15.1%
Written reviews184 reviews
Positive26.6%
Neutral10.9%
Negative62.5%

Chessmate

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral16.7%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

Chess Move

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Pieces not detected correctly
  • Moves suggested in wrong direction
  • App crashes on launch or during use

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add ability to save board positions
  • Improve piece detection and move suggestions
  • Provide more free analysis options

Chessmate

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Chess Move

Subscriptions10
  • ChessMovePro - Monthly$3.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Premium$4.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Hidden Discount$9.991 Year
Show 7 more
  • ChessMovePro (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • ChessMovePro - Premium3 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Quarterly)$19.993 Months
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)$29.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)3 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro (Yearly)3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • ChessMovePro7 Days trial$49.991 Year
None

Chessmate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Move free?
Chess Move is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessmate free?
Chessmate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess Move or Chessmate?
Chessmate is rated higher. Chess Move averages 4.3 out of 5 from 1.1K ratings, while Chessmate averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Chess Move or Chessmate have ads?
Neither Chess Move nor Chessmate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Move or Chessmate?
Chess Move ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chessmate every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess Move was updated on November 12, 2026 and Chessmate on November 4, 2026.

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