# Lichess vs Chessboard

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 (#40 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Lichess | Chessboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (662 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lichess/id1662361230/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessboard-play-chess/id6757340817/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **662** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 53.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#40** | — |
| Size | 86 MB | 100 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LICHESS.ORG](https://appshunter.io/developer/968371783) | [Matthias Juengel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866206037) |

## What reviewers say

### Lichess

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lichess/id1662361230)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Free · Strategy (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great interface
- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 💡 Useful resources for learning and analysis

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional UI issues
- 💡 Room for more customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Swipe-to-go-back gesture interferes with piece placement

**Requested features**

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


### Chessboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessboard-play-chess/id6757340817)

Play classic chess or Antichess with a friend on a single device or across two devices. This app enforces legal moves and saves your progress automatically. It's designed for two players, with no ads or accounts required.

**Highlights:** Two-player chess, Antichess mode, Play on one device, Play on two devices, Legal move enforcement, Automatic game saving, Offline play

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*