# Chess By Post vs Chess Notation Trainer

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.

Both are free to download. Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Chess By Post asks for nothing beyond the download.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess By Post | Chess Notation Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (254 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-by-post/id509928358/reviews) | **[4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **254** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | 80.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 38 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Games By Post LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/449504484) | [Nishat Majid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727207034) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess By Post

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-by-post/id509928358)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth gameplay
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Helpful planning mode
- 🌐 Cross-platform compatibility
- ⏱️ Leisurely pace of play

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏳ Long wait times between moves
- 🐛 Glitches and bugs
- 🤖 Concerns about cheating/engine use
- 🔇 Lack of notifications/push updates
- 📊 Inaccurate/inflated ranking system

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

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


### Chess Notation Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Version | $4.99 | one-time |


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