# Chess.com vs Magnus Trainer

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess.com at weekly against Magnus Trainer's every 5 weeks. Chess.com also leads on ratings volume (885K vs 13K) and chart position (#1 vs unranked). Magnus Trainer's advantage is review sentiment (81% vs 64%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess.com sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Magnus Trainer sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chess.com against 4.8 for Magnus Trainer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess.com has 885K ratings behind it against 13K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Chess.com's written reviews are positive against 81% of Magnus Trainer's.

Chess.com ships an update weekly, Magnus Trainer every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess.com | Magnus Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (885K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549/reviews)** | [4.8 (13K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magnus-trainer-train-chess/id1097863089/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **885K** | 13K |
| Positive reviews | 64.4% of reviews | **80.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#1** | — |
| Size | 466 MB | 187 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) | [Chess.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/329218552) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess.com

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chesscom-play-and-learn/id329218549)

**Currently charting:** #1 Top Free · Board, #2 Top Free · Strategy, #5 Top Grossing · Board, #7 Top Free · Games, #13 Top Grossing · Strategy, #47 Top Free, #57 Top Grossing · Games, #152 Top Grossing (US App Store)

Engage in chess with millions globally through online matches, tournaments, and practice modes. Enhance your skills with over a million puzzles, expert lessons, and AI opponents. Explore various chess variants and track your progress with detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Online multiplayer chess, Over 1 million chess puzzles, Hundreds of chess lessons, AI opponents with adjustable difficulty, Tournament participation, Chess variant gameplay, Game analysis and statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Gold Membership | $4.99 | per month |
| Gold Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Platinum Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Platinum Membership | $10.99 | per month |
| Diamond Membership | $14.99 | per month |
| Diamond Membership | $16.99 | per month |
| Gold Membership | $29.99 | per year |
| Platinum Membership | $79.99 | per year |
| Diamond Membership | $99.99 | per year |
| Diamond Membership | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app for learning and improving chess skills
- 🎓 Comprehensive lessons, puzzles, and analysis tools
- 🌍 Large player base for quick matchmaking
- 📊 Detailed game statistics and progress tracking
- 💻 Seamless integration between mobile app and website

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues and game freezes
- ⏱️ Unreliable and inconsistent game timers
- 🔒 Lack of transparency around anti-cheating measures
- 💰 Aggressive paywall for advanced features
- 🤖 Subpar AI opponents with questionable move choices

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect move suggestions in game analysis
- Inability to leave or manage chess clubs within the app
- Puzzle mode crashing when attempting to reveal the solution
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between Wi-Fi and mobile data
- Pieces not registering correctly on the board during gameplay

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize board and piece themes
- Option to pause and resume games at a later time
- Improved game analysis with more detailed explanations
- Enhanced social features for interacting with other players
- Offline mode for practicing puzzles and tactics


### Magnus Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magnus-trainer-train-chess/id1097863089)

Master chess with engaging games and interactive lessons created by Grand Masters and the World Chess Champion. Learn fundamentals, openings, and endgames through bite-sized challenges and puzzles for all skill levels.

**Highlights:** 250+ unique lessons, Bite-sized chess games, Thousands of puzzles, Beginner to advanced levels, Expert-crafted courses, Interactive learning

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $4.49 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $6.99 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Membership | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium Membership | $37.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium Membership | $55.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium Membership | $74.99 | per year |
| Refill All Lives | $1.99 | one-time |
| Premium Membership | $149.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium Membership | $299.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Well-structured lessons
- 👍 Clear and informative
- 👍 Helpful for beginners to masters
- 🚀 Improves chess skills quickly
- 👍 Engaging and entertaining

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Strict time limits on exercises
- 🐛 Puzzle engine only accepts one solution
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔀 Inability to skip lessons and progress at own pace
- 🔀 Lack of option to practice without time pressure

**Reported bugs**

- Pieces disappearing during games
- Moves not recognized by the engine
- Crashes on loading lessons

**Requested features**

- Option to view solution when failing puzzles
- Ability to customize chess board and piece design
- More organized and structured content
- Integrated chess game mode to apply learned skills
- Progress sync across multiple devices


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess.com free?

Chess.com is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Magnus Trainer free?

Magnus Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Chess.com or Magnus Trainer?

Chess.com is rated higher. Chess.com averages 4.8 out of 5 from 885K ratings, while Magnus Trainer averages 4.8 from 13K ratings.

### Do Chess.com or Magnus Trainer have ads?

Both Chess.com and Magnus Trainer show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess.com or Magnus Trainer?

Chess.com ships an update weekly, and Magnus Trainer every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chess.com was updated on November 13, 2026 and Magnus Trainer on November 13, 2026.

---

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