Comparison

Across Crossword Trainer vs Chess Notation Trainer

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

Head to head
About

Across Crossword Trainer

Learn to solve US-style English crosswords with this expertly designed app. It offers a collection of 75 specially crafted puzzles with learning notes to improve your skills, progressing from easy to advanced levels. Tackle published crosswords with confidence after completing the included challenges.

Highlights
  • Learn crossword solving techniques
  • 75 professionally constructed crosswords
  • Learning notes for each puzzle
  • Progression from easy to advanced levels
  • Unique interface like a printed crossword
  • Automated help for scanning and selecting clues
Read full description

Would you like to learn how to solve crosswords like an expert? This app is what you need. If you are frustrated with not being able to solve US-style English crosswords from respected newspapers and perhaps even doubting your ability, now there is an app for that. Join the thousands of people that have used this app to improve their skills enough to be able to solve published crosswords that they once thought were beyond their abilities. Exquisitely designed for the iPad by the creators of Across Lite, the most widely used crossword solver software since 1995, this crossword skill building kit will help you improve your skills considerably. Not with boring study material or tests - just by solving specially created crosswords. What it is: - The most enjoyable and sophisticated crossword solver ever built - An included collection of 75 crosswords professionally constructed to teach how to solve crosswords with learning notes for each crossword What it is NOT: - Crossword solver for Across Lite crosswords available on the web. Install our Across Lite Crosswords app from the store for this. Using a unique interface that looks like a printed crossword, the app lets you focus on improving your skills even if you have never used a crossword app before. Crossword solving skills are a combination of ability, technique and practice. The automated help in scanning and selecting clues to solve that captures techniques from expert solvers will help you incorporate those techniques into your solving. The carefully and professionally constructed 75 crosswords included in the kit take you through a progression of easy, medium and transitional levels, with increasing levels of word play and themes while familiarizing you with some of the oft-repeated crossword "cliches" that makes solving harder puzzles easier. Brief notes for each crossword provide learning points. You should be ready to tackle most reputable crosswords by the time you finish the included crosswords. If you need additional crosswords for practice, you can purchase more crosswords from renowned authors from inside the app. We hope you enjoy this lovingly-crafted app as much as we have enjoyed building it.

About

Chess Notation Trainer

Master chess squares and notation with this training app. Improve your ability to identify coordinates, translate moves, and visualize the board, even without one. Ideal for serious players looking to enhance calculation speed and chess understanding.

Highlights
  • Identify squares by coordinate
  • Translate move sequences to notation
  • Determine square color instantly
  • Stay oriented on the board
  • Follow chess tutorials without a board
  • Speed up calculation
  • Practice blind chess
Features
Read full description

Serious about chess? But struggling to identify the squares, remembering sequences and follow chess notations? Well, you just landed on the perfect app! This training app is designed to dramatically uplift your mastery over chess squares. There are 5 training sessions. A small dose of regular practice will make you: 1. Spot a square as soon as you hear or see its coordinate 2. Translate a sequence of moves into their notation at ease 3. Immediately identify the color of a square 4. Stay oriented regardless of you facing white or black 5. Follow along with chess tutorials, books or any discussion without a board 6. Massively speedup your thought process on any calculation 7. Finally, start playing blind chess! Don't be surprised if you see a sudden surge of rating simply increasing your strength on square reading. The free version is already good enough to cause a major spike in your chess career. However, a one time purchase will unlock the full version which includes: - Extended time controls - Untimed practice mode - Milestones and achievements - Board assistance during training - And a complete visualization of your records There will be no ads, neither in the full version nor in the free one. Just a beautiful and satisfyingly addictive way to your square mastery. Caution: If you are rated below 1500, this app is probably not gonna be as useful for you, and tactics training is something you should prioritize.

Screenshots

Chess Notation Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chess Notation Trainer at Free against Across Crossword Trainer's $6.99. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). Across Crossword Trainer's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (129 vs 18). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Chess Notation Trainer is free to download; Across Crossword Trainer costs $6.99 up front. Across Crossword Trainer sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Across Crossword Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Across Crossword Trainer has 129 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 96% of Across Crossword Trainer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Across Crossword Trainer ships an update every 2 months, Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Across Crossword Trainer versus Chess Notation Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcross Crossword TrainerChess Notation Trainer
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (129 ratings) — better4.4 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews95.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings129 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLiterate SoftwareNishat Majid

Customer experience

Across Crossword Trainer

All ratings129 ratings
Positive96.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews93 reviews
Positive95.7%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.2%

Chess Notation Trainer

All ratings18 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Across Crossword Trainer

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Split keyboard letter input is unreliable and requires excessive tapping
  • Letters on left side of screen don't always respond to first tap
  • App occasionally jumps to other squares unexpectedly
  • Accidental letter taps count as errors against user
  • Inconsistent tap detection requiring edge-of-key tapping

Requested features

6 requests
  • More puzzles and expanded content library
  • In-game dictionary or definition lookup for educational value
  • Traditional keyboard option for letter entry
  • Horizontal puzzle orientation support
  • Better international/non-American clue options
Show 1 more
  • Improved letter entry responsiveness and accuracy

Chess Notation Trainer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Across Crossword Trainer

One-time6
  • Gaffney's Mini Puzzles$0.99
  • Beguiling Bogglers$0.99
  • Confounding Challenges$0.99
Show 3 more
  • Crosswords You Can Finish$2.99
  • Gaffney's Minis Practice Pack$2.99
  • Jonesin' Omnibus$2.99
1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99

Questions

Is Across Crossword Trainer free?
Across Crossword Trainer costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Across Crossword Trainer or Chess Notation Trainer?
Across Crossword Trainer is rated higher. Across Crossword Trainer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while Chess Notation Trainer averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.
Do Across Crossword Trainer or Chess Notation Trainer have ads?
Neither Across Crossword Trainer nor Chess Notation Trainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Across Crossword Trainer or Chess Notation Trainer?
Across Crossword Trainer ships an update every 2 months, and Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. Most recently, Across Crossword Trainer was updated on October 8, 2026 and Chess Notation Trainer on October 14, 2026.

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