Comparison

Chess By Post 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

Chess By Post

Engage in correspondence chess with players worldwide. Challenge friends or compete in ranked matches, with automatic notifications for your turn. Improve your skills through puzzles and analysis, or enjoy local pass-and-play games.

Highlights
  • Correspondence chess with real players
  • Ranked matches with Elo rating
  • Chess puzzles for skill improvement
  • End game analysis
  • Local hand-off games
  • Computer opponent with adjustable difficulty
Features
Read full description

Play correspondence chess with real people! Challenge your friends to friendly games or play ranked matches against random opponents of similar skill levels. Play as many simultaneous games as your want! Automatic push notifications will let you know when you have moves waiting! Improve your ranking by playing ranked games against comparable opponents. Skill ranking updates using the classic Elo rating system to adjust your rank when you win or lose. A leader board view shows you how you compare to the top players. Chess By Post is perfect for players of all skill levels because your matched opponent's skill level will be adapted based on your own skill level. Create a local hand-off game and play your friend by passing the phone back and forth. Play against a computer opponent that adjusts difficulty to match your skill level. Improve your skills by playing rated chess puzzles. Features: --------- -Tracks your skill level over time -Matches you with similar skilled opponents -Practice chess puzzles to improve your game -End game analysis shows you the critical mistakes made by each player -Head to head stats -Move History Statistics - Explore the moves of every game you ever played with an interactive board explorer -Freely move pieces to plan strategies -Take notes on games to remember strategies -In-game chat message board -In-game move histories for easy review -Ratings leader board -Local hand-off games can be played offline -Play games against a computer opponent with varied skill levels -Alphanumeric grid display

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 By Post4 screens
Chess Notation Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Chess By Post at none against Chess Notation Trainer's 1. Chess By Post also leads on ratings volume (254 vs 18). Chess Notation Trainer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 months). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement 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. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess By Post asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Chess By Post against 4.4 for Chess Notation Trainer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess By Post has 254 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Chess By Post's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess Notation Trainer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess By Post ships an update every 5 months, Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Chess By Post versus Chess Notation Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess By PostChess Notation Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (254 ratings)4.4 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings254 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size38 MB26 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperGames By Post LLCNishat Majid

Customer experience

Chess By Post

All ratings254 ratings
Positive81.1%
Neutral3.9%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews224 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral4.9%
Negative14.7%

Chess Notation Trainer

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

Bugs and requests

Chess By Post

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Moves not registering correctly
  • Game freezes/crashes
  • Notification issues
  • Rating/scoring problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Shorter move time limits
  • Friends/social features
  • Ability to report/block abusive players
  • Board orientation/view options
  • Customizable game settings

Chess Notation Trainer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Chess By Post

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chess Notation Trainer

One-time1
  • Full Version$4.99

Questions

Is Chess By Post free?
Chess By Post is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chess Notation Trainer free?
Chess Notation Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Chess By Post or Chess Notation Trainer?
Chess Notation Trainer is rated higher. Chess By Post averages 4.3 out of 5 from 254 ratings, while Chess Notation Trainer averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.
Do Chess By Post or Chess Notation Trainer have ads?
Chess By Post shows ads; Chess Notation Trainer does not.
Which is updated more often, Chess By Post or Chess Notation Trainer?
Chess By Post ships an update every 5 months, and Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. Most recently, Chess By Post was updated on November 1, 2026 and Chess Notation Trainer on October 24, 2026.

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