Comparison

Learn with Forward Chess vs Yomu EBook Reader

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

Head to head
About

Learn with Forward Chess

This app is an interactive reader for chess books, allowing users to play through chess lines directly within the book. It offers a vast in-app store with over 100 chess eBooks and a growing collection of opening theory periodicals via subscription.

Highlights
  • Interactive chess book reader
  • Play through chess lines
  • In-app chess eBook store
  • Subscription for opening theory
  • Tactics training
Features
Read full description

Forward Chess is an Interactive reader of chess books. Play through the lines in the book, or try your own, it's like having a chess board and a chess book in the palm of your hand. Forward Chess includes the ability to purchase over 100 chess eBooks through our In-App Store. Check it out. Our collection is growing weekly! Forward Chess also contains the following subscription options - ChessPublishing's monthly periodical for the latest in opening theory - We offer a choice of 4 different auto-renewing subscriptions - 1 Section for 1 Year @ $19.99 USD - 3 Sections for 1 Year @ $39.99 USD - 6 Sections for 1 Year @ $69.99 USD - 12 Sections for 1 Year @ $99.99 USD - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period - Links to Your Privacy Policy and Terms of Use - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication. Forward Chess takes your privacy seriously See our privacy policy here: https://forwardchess.com/privacy-policy and term of use here: https://forwardchess.com/terms-of-service

About

Yomu EBook Reader

An independent ebook reader designed for distraction-free reading with customizable styles and layouts. Supports a wide range of formats and offers robust library management features. Cloud synchronization is available for pro users.

Highlights
  • Customizable reading styles and themes
  • Supports EPUB, MOBI, Kindle, CBZ, CBR, PDF
  • Dynamic text and margin adjustment
  • Library organization with folders and tags
  • Cloud synchronization for books and annotations (Pro)
  • Text highlighting and note-taking
  • Widgets for quick access to books and quotes
Features
Read full description

Yomu is an independent reader for book lovers. Yomu’s design is carefully crafted for ebooks and offers custom styles for better readability and distraction-free reading. Designed to let you focus on reading, Yomu has no unnecessary preferences. Just open a book and start reading. Yomu’s fluid layout dynamically adjusts all text properties and margins depending on your preferred styles and device, giving you an optimal reading experience. FORMATS Yomu supports standard ebooks without digital rights management. Supported formats: - EPub (.epub) - Mobi (.mobi, .prc) - Kindle (.azw, .azw3, .kf8) - Comics (.cbz, .cbr) - PDF (.pdf) Choose free books from publishers such as Standard Ebooks or Project Gutenberg. Download ebooks directly from your browser or copy files from other apps. Import files with iCloud Drive, iTunes File Sharing, or from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, OPDS and Calibre. READER The reader's design is carefully crafted for ebooks and offers custom styles for better readability. Choose your favorite theme font (Lato, Georgia, Lexend, OpenDyslexic, ...), reader mode (day, sepia, grey, black, ...), select a preset or custom font size, content layout (page, scroll) and many more options. All settings can be saved as your personal default for each book. Swipe or tap to go to the next page. You can also use the book's content outline or table of contents to navigate to another chapter. While reading EPub, Mobi and Kindle books, select text to take notes or highlight favorite sections. Create bookmarks or search inside ebooks to quickly find anything you are looking for. LIBRARY Organise your books in an easy to use library. Manage your library by creating folders or tags to organize your books. Sort your collection either by title, author, series, recently read or drag and drop for a custom order. You can edit a document's title, author, summary, cover or any other meta data. Save or export your books with all information and annotations in text, markdown or json format. CLOUD Yomu's Cloud Library (pro only) stores your books and annotations securely in Apple's iCloud. Keep all your ebooks safe and at hand on whatever device. Every time you change something on one device, it's synced to all your other devices. Always have the latest version, when you start reading on your iPad and continue on your iPhone on the go. Please note that you need to be signed in on your device with the same Apple ID on all platforms. WIDGETS See your recently read books or highlighted quotes. Yomu includes widgets to quickly view and open your books and quotes. Add a widget from the gallery and choose a list from the options. Tap on an entry to continue reading where you left off. YOMU PRO Yomu is free to use and includes all basic features. Every ebook format, theme or setting is available and lets you try out the unrestricted reader. However, the free version has some limitations and does not include certain features. Upgrade to Yomu Pro to get: - Cloud Library: Store and sync your library with Apple’s iCloud. - Unlimited Documents: No limit on the number of documents. - No Advertisement: Free version can display ads. Yomu is an independent app, your purchase supports the further development. When you buy an in-app purchase, you are doing so through Apple’s App Store and agree to their terms and conditions. Payments will be charged to the credit card of your Apple account. SERVICE Yomu is available for iPhone, iPad and Mac. In contrast to other apps, Yomu does not collect or sell any personal information. And it keeps your data private. Terms of Service: https://www.yomu-reader.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://www.yomu-reader.com/privacy/ Support: https://www.yomu-reader.com/support/

Screenshots

Learn with Forward Chess4 screens
Yomu EBook Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Learn with Forward Chess at fortnightly against Yomu EBook Reader's monthly. Learn with Forward Chess also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Yomu EBook Reader's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 334). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Learn with Forward Chess sells 70 one-off in-app purchases and Yomu EBook Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Learn with Forward Chess against 4.8 for Yomu EBook Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 334 and 1.6K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Learn with Forward Chess's written reviews are positive against 80% of Yomu EBook Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Learn with Forward Chess ships an update fortnightly, Yomu EBook Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Learn with Forward Chess versus Yomu EBook Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLearn with Forward ChessYomu EBook Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (334 ratings)4.8 (1.6K ratings)
Positive reviews74.8% of reviews80.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3341.6K — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size188 MB60 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperForward Chess, LLCBeat Raess

Customer experience

Learn with Forward Chess

All ratings334 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews123 reviews
Positive74.8%
Neutral9.8%
Negative15.4%

Yomu EBook Reader

All ratings1,609 ratings
Positive95.4%
Neutral1.9%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews751 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral6.8%
Negative13.0%

User reviews

Learn with Forward Chess

From 334 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great app for chess-book lovers
  • 🚀 Easy to follow or analyze moves with the implemented chessboard
  • 👍 Simple and effective interface
  • 👍 Great to use on mobile device
  • 👍 Larger board and text than Chessable

Room to improve

  • 💰 Books are a little expensive for digital purchases
  • 🐛 App crashes or freezes occasionally
  • 🐛 Loses user's place when reopening the app
  • 🐛 Buggy when navigating between libraries and books
  • 🐛 Analysis engine sometimes doesn't recognize castling possibilities

Yomu EBook Reader

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Customizable reading experience
  • 📚 Supports wide range of file formats
  • 💻 Seamless sync across devices
  • 🔒 No DRM or subscription issues
  • 🗂️ Effective organization with folders and tags

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs with highlighting and page turning
  • 🔍 Limited search functionality
  • 📚 Lack of nested folders for better organization
  • 🔧 Some customization options could be improved
  • 🖼️ Thumbnails/cover art could be larger

Bugs and requests

Learn with Forward Chess

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Login issues when changing devices
  • Books not properly filing into libraries
  • App crashing when trying to add books to libraries
  • Losing current position when switching between full screen and normal view
  • Inconsistent behavior when navigating through a book

Requested features

7 requests
  • Allow users to upload their own book PDFs
  • Implement spaced repetition learning program within books
  • Improve search and filtering options in the book store
  • Add more language support beyond English books
  • Provide better syncing of purchases across devices
Show 2 more
  • Improve text formatting and readability
  • Implement highlighting, bookmarking, and note-taking features

Yomu EBook Reader

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes
  • Inconsistent behavior when swiping to turn pages
  • Syncing issues between devices
  • Formatting problems with certain ebook files

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add support for text-to-speech
  • Improve PDF handling with annotation and text selection
  • Implement nested folder structure for better organization
  • Expand font and theme customization options
  • Introduce a continuous scrolling mode
Show 1 more
  • Add a more prominent 'return to last read position' feature

In-app purchases

70 purchases

Learn with Forward Chess

One-time70
  • True Lies in ChessFree
  • CHESS INSIGHT 01/2026$2.99
  • Simple Attacking Plans$9.99
Show 67 more
  • Simple Chess$10.99
  • The Power of Pawns$12.99
  • My System: FastTrack Edition$12.99
  • Play the Mackenzie!$12.99
  • 1001 Ways to Checkmate$12.99
  • My System$13.99
  • The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book$14.99
  • Openings for Amateurs$14.99
  • Modern Chess Strategy$14.99
  • Techniques of Positional Play: 45 Practical Methods$15.99
  • American Dream$16.99
  • Zurich Chess Tournament, 1953$16.99
  • Chess Endgame Calculation 1$16.99
  • Chess Strategy for Club Players$16.99
  • 100 Endgames You Must Know$17.99
  • Capablanca the Great Minimalist 1$17.99
  • Attacking Chess for Club Players$17.99
  • Openings for Amateurs - Vol. 3$17.99
  • Capablancas Best Chess Endings$17.99
  • The Most Instructive Games$17.99
  • Improve Your Chess Pattern Recognition$17.99
  • Steps to Giant Improvement$19.99
  • Perpetual Chess Improvement$19.99
  • Playing 1.e4 e5 - A Classical Repertoire$19.99
  • Amateur to IM$19.99
  • The Complete Manual of Positional Chess$19.99
  • Chess Tactics from Scratch$19.99
  • COR: The London System$19.99
  • Attacking the English/Reti$19.99
  • COR: Accelerated Dragon$19.99
  • Mastering Chess Exchanges$19.99
  • Study on Your Own Workbook 3$19.99
  • OR: Strategic Play with 1 e4$19.99
  • Playing 1.d4 d5$19.99
  • Reimagining 1.e4$19.99
  • Beating the QG – Indian Style!$19.99
  • Endgame Studies You Must Know$19.99
  • Pawn Endgames$19.99
  • 100 Tactical Patterns$19.99
  • 100 Tactical Patterns Workbook$19.99
  • Drill Your Chess Strategy!$19.99
  • Thinking Inside the Box - Grandmaster Preparation$19.99
  • Chess Imbalances - a GM Guide$21.99
  • The Modernized Colle-Zukertort$21.99
  • Ding Liren's Best Games$22.99
  • Winning Chess Middlegames 2$22.99
  • Dream Moves$22.99
  • Rock Solid Chess: Volume 3$22.99
  • Positional Decision Making in Chess$23.99
  • Pump Up Your Rating$23.99
  • Chess Structures - A Grandmaster Guide$23.99
  • The Woodpecker Method$23.99
  • Mastering Chess Defence$23.99
  • Associative Thinking$23.99
  • The Philosopher&the Housewife$23.99
  • The Real Paul Morphy$23.99
  • 50 Mistakes You Should Know$23.99
  • The Woodpecker Method 2$23.99
  • Chess Informant 158$24.99
  • A Killer Guide to Attacking Chess$25.99
  • School of Future Champions 1$25.99
  • Chess Informant 161$26.99
  • Vasily Smyslov: Volume II$27.99
  • Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual$27.99
  • Akiba Rubinstein (UCC Series)$29.99
  • Pushing Horizons$29.99
  • OR for Black after 1...e6$29.99
2 purchases

Yomu EBook Reader

One-time2
  • Yomu Pro$7.99
  • Yomu Pro (Karma)$12.99

Questions

Is Learn with Forward Chess free?
Learn with Forward Chess is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Yomu EBook Reader free?
Yomu EBook Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Learn with Forward Chess or Yomu EBook Reader?
Learn with Forward Chess and Yomu EBook Reader are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 334 and 1.6K ratings respectively.
Do Learn with Forward Chess or Yomu EBook Reader have ads?
Neither Learn with Forward Chess nor Yomu EBook Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Learn with Forward Chess or Yomu EBook Reader?
Learn with Forward Chess ships an update fortnightly, and Yomu EBook Reader monthly. Most recently, Learn with Forward Chess was updated on October 17, 2026 and Yomu EBook Reader on October 18, 2026.

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