Comparison

Lichess vs Chessboard

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

Head to head
About

Lichess

Play chess online with millions of users, participate in tournaments, solve puzzles, and analyze games. This free and open-source application offers a comprehensive chess experience for players of all levels, with features for learning and casual play.

Highlights
  • Real-time and correspondence chess
  • Arena tournaments
  • Chess puzzles
  • Game analysis with Stockfish
  • Interactive study feature
  • Chess clock
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Lichess is a free/libre, open-source chess application powered by volunteers and donations. Today, Lichess users play more than five million games every day. Lichess is one of the most popular chess websites in the world while remaining 100% free. The following features are available right now: - play real time or correspondence chess - play arena tournaments - play against online bots - solve chess puzzles from a wide variety of themes, online or offline - race against the clock in Puzzle Storm - analyse your games with latest Stockfish locally or on the server - board editor - study chess with a collaborative and interactive study feature - learn board coordinates - play over the board with a friend - watch live chess broadcasts from all major chess tournaments - watch Lichess TV and online streamers - use a chess clock for your over the board games - many different board themes and piece sets - custom background themes - translated into 55 languages

About

Chessboard

Features
Read full description

Chessboard is a simple chess app for two players to play chess together. Play without ads, without an account, and without public matchmaking. Enjoy classic chess anytime — offline on one device or online by inviting each other. The chess app allows only legal moves and supports all important chess rules, including castling, en passant, and pawn promotion. It also includes Antichess, where captures are mandatory and the goal is to lose all pieces or have no legal moves. Ideal for beginners, kids, and experienced players who want to play together. CHESS ON ONE DEVICE Play chess with two people on a single device — a classic chess experience without a physical board. Perfect as travel chess, for on the go, at a café, or at home – no physical chessboard or pieces needed. CHESS ON TWO DEVICES Connect two devices and play chess on separate screens. The connection works by invitation, for example via an invite link you share once using a messenger or another method. After that, you can invite each other directly from within the app without having to resend the link every time. An internet connection is required. Suitable for games in the same room or over longer distances. GAME PROGRESS The current chess game is saved automatically. All moves remain visible, and the game can be continued at any time. FAQ Is this chess app suitable for kids? Yes, the app is kid-friendly and easy to use. Is there a computer opponent or chess AI? No. Chessboard focuses exclusively on games between two people you choose to play with — there are no random opponents or public matches. Does the chess app require internet access? Only for playing on two devices. Playing on one device works completely offline. Are there ads or registration? No. No ads, no login, no account.

Screenshots

Lichess4 screens
Chessboard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chessboard at 5.0 against Lichess's 4.1. Chessboard also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). Lichess's advantage is ratings volume (662 vs 2) and chart position (#50 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chessboard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lichess has 662 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lichess ships an update fortnightly, Chessboard every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Lichess versus Chessboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLichessChessboard
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (662 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings662 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#50 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size86 MB100 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLICHESS.ORGMatthias Juengel

Customer experience

Lichess

All ratings662 ratings
Positive74.0%
Neutral5.3%
Negative20.7%
Written reviews582 reviews
Positive53.1%
Neutral10.1%
Negative36.8%

Chessboard

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Lichess

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Swipe-to-go-back gesture interferes with piece placement

Requested features

3 requests
  • Name of opening in opening explorer
  • Ability to add and subtract additional things on the homepage
  • Reset/replay button on puzzles

Chessboard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Lichess

No in-app purchases

None

Chessboard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Lichess free?
Lichess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chessboard free?
Chessboard is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Lichess or Chessboard?
Chessboard is rated higher. Lichess averages 4.1 out of 5 from 662 ratings, while Chessboard averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Lichess or Chessboard have ads?
Neither Lichess nor Chessboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lichess or Chessboard?
Lichess ships an update fortnightly, and Chessboard every 4 days. Most recently, Lichess was updated on October 21, 2026 and Chessboard on October 22, 2026.

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