# Chess Genius vs Lichess

The clearest difference is price: Lichess at Free against Chess Genius's $5.99. Lichess also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (662 vs 10). Chess Genius's advantage is review sentiment (79% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 15.6). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Lichess is free to download; Chess Genius costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Lichess holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lichess has 662 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of Chess Genius's written reviews are positive against 52% of Lichess's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chess Genius ships an update every 12 months, Lichess fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess Genius | Lichess |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-genius/id294631172/reviews) | **[4.1 (662 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lichess/id1662361230/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 10 | **662** |
| Positive reviews | **78.9% of reviews** | 51.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#38** |
| Size | 2 MB | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lang Software Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/294631175) | [LICHESS.ORG](https://appshunter.io/developer/968371783) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess Genius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-genius/id294631172)

This award-winning chess program offers superb playing strength with hundreds of levels for all skill sets. It features a clear interface, displays game analysis, and allows for saving, loading, and sharing games. Enjoy features like hints, legal move displays, and unlimited take-backs.

**Highlights:** Hundreds of playing levels, Displays thinking and analysis, Save/load games in PGN format, Hint and Tutor features, Unlimited take back, 2 player and self-play modes

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💪 Strong chess engine
- 🧠 Good for learning and practice
- ✨ Classic and well-established program
- 👍 Simple and effective interface
- 🚀 Fast performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📉 Outdated graphics
- 🐌 Slow updates
- ⚠️ Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- ❓ Confusing interface/menus

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently, especially when ending games
- Cannot access settings
- App crashes when starting new game or changing settings
- Not working with iOS 17
- Not working with iOS 14.3

**Requested features**

- Update for iOS compatibility
- Refresh and update the app
- Take advantage of iOS file app features
- Specify opening repertoire training
- Don't let playing style be trainer/hint man


### Lichess

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

**Currently charting:** #38 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess Genius free?

Chess Genius costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lichess free?

Lichess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chess Genius or Lichess?

Lichess is rated higher. Chess Genius averages 3.9 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Lichess averages 4.1 from 662 ratings.

### Do Chess Genius or Lichess have ads?

Neither Chess Genius nor Lichess shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess Genius or Lichess?

Chess Genius ships an update every 12 months, and Lichess fortnightly. Most recently, Chess Genius was updated on October 12, 2026 and Lichess on October 16, 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.*