# Chess without ads vs Chess Notation Trainer

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chess Notation Trainer at every 2 days against Chess without ads's fortnightly. Chess Notation Trainer also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Chess without ads's advantage is ratings volume (38K vs 16) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chess without ads sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per 7 days and Chess Notation Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chess without ads holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess without ads has 38K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Chess without ads'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.

Chess without ads ships an update fortnightly, Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chess without ads | Chess Notation Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (38K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-without-ads/id522314512/reviews)** | [4.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-notation-trainer/id6476576060/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **38K** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 90.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Christophe Théron](https://appshunter.io/developer/423198262) | [Nishat Majid](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727207034) |

## What reviewers say

### Chess without ads

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chess-without-ads/id522314512)

Learn and play chess without distractions. This app offers guided lessons for beginners and advanced analysis for experts, helping you improve your game with intelligent suggestions and post-game reviews. Play offline and enjoy a seamless, ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Ad-free learning and play, Introductory lessons for beginners, Grandmaster move suggestions, Game analysis with good/bad moves, Supports USCF and FIDE rating scales, Strong mobile chess engine, Offline play

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO, 1 week | $0.49 | per 7 days |
| PRO, 1 month | $0.99 | per month |
| PRO, 3 months | $1.99 | per 3 months |
| Learn chess | $4.99 | one-time |
| PRO, for life (SALE!) | $9.99 | one-time |
| PRO, for life (regular price) | $12.99 | one-time |
| PRO FOR LIFE - TODAY ONLY | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent chess training tool
- 🚀 Customizable difficulty levels
- 💡 Helpful move suggestions
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface
- 🚀 No ads or distractions

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Limited free version with paid upgrade
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💡 Desire for more chess variants and modes
- 🔒 Aggressive prompts to upgrade to paid version

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on the login screen
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Inconsistent behavior when running out of free credits

**Requested features**

- Add more chess variants (3-check, king of the hill, etc.)
- Provide more detailed game analysis and feedback
- Improve the en passant move functionality
- Add online/multiplayer capabilities


### 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

**In-app purchases (1)**

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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chess without ads free?

Chess without ads is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Chess Notation Trainer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Chess without ads or Chess Notation Trainer?

Chess without ads is rated higher. Chess without ads averages 4.7 out of 5 from 38K ratings, while Chess Notation Trainer averages 4.5 from 16 ratings.

### Do Chess without ads or Chess Notation Trainer have ads?

Neither Chess without ads nor Chess Notation Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chess without ads or Chess Notation Trainer?

Chess without ads ships an update fortnightly, and Chess Notation Trainer every 2 days. Most recently, Chess without ads was updated on September 26, 2026 and Chess Notation Trainer on September 7, 2026.

---

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