Comparison

Chess Tactics and Lessons vs Swift Chess

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

Head to head
About

Chess Tactics and Lessons

Master chess strategy and openings with this app. Practice unlimited tactics, follow detailed lessons, and save your favorite openings. Create your own content and learn from a supportive community.

Highlights
  • Unlimited tactics practice
  • Detailed chess lessons
  • Opening practice and saving
  • Create custom tactics and lessons
  • Learn from mistakes with explanations
  • Community comments and discussion
  • Customizable board design
Features
Read full description

“Chess is 99% tactics” (R. Teichmann.) From beginner to expert, practicing tactics is hands-down the best way to master the game. Play 30,000+ tactics, lessons, and openings while the app adjusts to your ability as you play. Join thousands of users who improve their game with daily tactics. Beginner-friendly, even if you don't know the rules of chess yet. "This app is a must have for any chess player - student or master." -Tom Taylor, USA "This is easily the best purchase I've made since owning a smartphone." -Miles C. Samuels, USA "This app has improved my game tremendously!" - anonymous fandom on the App Store FEATURES - Tactics: Play as many tactics as you want, for free. - Lessons: Get deeper into strategy with detailed lessons including positions from Netflix's 'The Queen's Gambit' and the World Championship. - Openings: Practice makes perfect! Save and practice openings from the Grandmasters and more. - Create your own tactics, lessons, and openings for others to try. - Learn from your mistakes with solutions, explanations, and chess engine analysis. - Join the community: comment on tactics and learn from other users. New tactics are added every day, so you'll never run out. ------ Chess Tactics PRO subscriptions will be charged to your iTunes account upon purchase. Subscriptions will automatically renew unless canceled within 24-hours before the end of the current period. You can cancel anytime with your iTunes account settings. See Privacy Policy and Terms of Service for more information. Privacy Policy: https://chesstacticsapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Service: https://chesstacticsapp.com/terms.html Acknowledgements: Chess Pieces by jurgenwesterhof on WikiCommons (adapted from work of Cburnett) Icons by bezier master, Cutiecon, and Shawn Wong from the Noun Project.

About

Swift Chess

Engage in quick chess puzzles designed for all skill levels, from beginner to grandmaster. Master endgame strategies with over 17,000 challenges and a comprehensive learning course. Adaptable difficulty ensures a personalized and addictive puzzle-solving experience.

Highlights
  • Over 17,000 chess puzzles
  • Play at your level (beginner to grandmaster)
  • 10-module beginner course
  • Adaptive difficulty
  • Game browser and filters
  • Multiple user profiles
  • No ads or in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

If you’re a chess-aholic, or simply love brain-teasers and puzzles, Swift Chess: Endgame Puzzles is a new mobile application that is packed full of 5-minute mini chess challenges for all abilities. Unlike your average chess game our app offers neat little endgame puzzles that don’t require the slog of playing through a whole game. We believe you’ll find this app seriously addictive, whatever your chess ability and interest is, read on to see how! Features: - Over 17,000 chess puzzles and counting - Play at your level from beginner through to grandmaster - Never played? Learn everything needed in the 10 module course - Complete the challenges and see how high a level you can reach - Find the exact scenario you want by using the browser and filters - Build your endgame skills in training, coaching and real-world modes - Create multiple users on one device - No ads or in-app purchases Want to try before you buy? Download "Swift Chess: Endgame Puzzles (Lite Version)" Love logic puzzles and anything that gets your brain going? To satisfy your puzzle thirst go to the Checkmate Challenge section. You’ll get served brain-teaser after brain-teaser of varying endgame positions. The aim is to win challenges by checkmating your opponent in the minimum possible number of moves to mate. The more you get right the harder the challenges become, and likewise if you’re struggling they’ll get easier. This means you’ll get games at the right difficulty for you as your ability improves. Aside from just solving the puzzles you have the additional task of breaking your personal records. See how high you can get your difficulty level and how long you can get your winning streak! If you’re failing on certain challenges, perhaps only when you have certain pieces, check out the Game Browser app section to get practice on the puzzle variants you’re after. Beginner or inexperienced player? If you’re new to chess, or just a bit rusty, don’t worry. We have a course that will guide you on a steady learning-curve from the most basic of positions and up through the various piece setups you’ll come across in endgames. Remember to let your family complete the course independently on a shared device by creating multiple users. Make a mistake and you can keep having another go. If you get stuck you can highlight the moves you should be playing. After practicing similar positions over a few times the logic of how to solve them will suddenly start to click. If you make a move that lets your opponent take the upper-hand you’ll get the option to play on to see why they get the advantage. Once you’ve understood you can return back to the game before your mistake and have another go. Club player? If you’re a regular chess player you should still get a kick out of solving the conundrums in the Checkmate Challenge section, so make sure to check it out. However, if you’re looking to really improve your endgame head over to the Game Browser. Here you’ll find all the tools you’ll need to tailor the app to meet your needs. Select the piece setup you want using the filter, or leave it empty to get a variety of different games. Set the difficulty to your level, or challenge yourself by going higher. Choose from 3 playing modes: Training - Make a mistake and you can try again, or highlight the best moves. Coach - Get feedback on how well you’re doing as you play through a game. Real - Play as though in a real game, without any help. Don’t forget to favourite games so you can find them again. Do this by tapping the heart in the top left while playing. Challenge friends and colleagues to a particular endgame by giving them the game number. They can then enter this into the filter to find it. Graphic credits: Freepik www.freepik.com SimpleIcon www.simpleicon.com Vectors Market www.vectorsmarket.com Iconmoon www.icomoon.io Lucy G www.bylucyg.com Egor Rumyantsev www.behance.com/pio-5 Pavel Kozlov www.behance.net/Bart9339

Screenshots

Chess Tactics and Lessons4 screens
Swift Chess4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Chess Tactics and Lessons at 4.8 against Swift Chess's 3.8. Chess Tactics and Lessons also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 55%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 11 months). Swift Chess's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support 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 Tactics and Lessons sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Swift Chess asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Tactics and Lessons holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chess Tactics and Lessons has 5.1K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of Chess Tactics and Lessons's written reviews are positive against 55% of Swift Chess's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chess Tactics and Lessons ships an update every 5 weeks, Swift Chess every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Chess Tactics and Lessons versus Swift Chess: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChess Tactics and LessonsSwift Chess
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (5.1K ratings) — better3.8 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews85.2% of reviews — better54.5% of reviews
Number of ratings5.1K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.09.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size114 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLockwood Productions, LLCSWIFTWARE LTD

Customer experience

Chess Tactics and Lessons

All ratings4,985 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.7%
Written reviews283 reviews
Positive85.2%
Neutral4.6%
Negative10.2%

Swift Chess

All ratings10 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral30.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive54.5%
Neutral18.2%
Negative27.3%

Bugs and requests

Chess Tactics and Lessons

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Server connection issues
  • White screen after updates
  • Inability to delete account
  • Incorrect move explanations

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to save tactics
  • Offline mode
  • Difficulty filtering
  • Improved user interface
  • More comprehensive lessons

Swift Chess

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Chess Tactics and Lessons

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly PRO Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Annual Pro Subscription$29.991 Year
One-time5
  • Marble Chess Board$0.99
  • Orange Chess Board$0.99
  • Remove ads$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Green Chess Board$0.99
  • Enable Saved Puzzles$1.99
None

Swift Chess

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chess Tactics and Lessons free?
Chess Tactics and Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Swift Chess free?
Swift Chess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chess Tactics and Lessons or Swift Chess?
Chess Tactics and Lessons is rated higher. Chess Tactics and Lessons averages 4.8 out of 5 from 5.1K ratings, while Swift Chess averages 3.8 from 10 ratings.
Do Chess Tactics and Lessons or Swift Chess have ads?
Neither Chess Tactics and Lessons nor Swift Chess shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chess Tactics and Lessons or Swift Chess?
Chess Tactics and Lessons ships an update every 5 weeks, and Swift Chess every 11 months. Most recently, Chess Tactics and Lessons was updated on October 29, 2026 and Swift Chess on October 5, 2026.

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