Comparison

Kodable Basics vs Chess Max Academy

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

Head to head
About

Kodable Basics

This app teaches children aged 4-10 foundational computer science concepts through engaging, game-based activities. It helps kids develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by guiding them through mazes and allowing them to create their own games. The curriculum is designed to transition from basic logic to writing real code.

Highlights
  • Game-based learning approach
  • Develops critical thinking
  • Teaches coding concepts
  • Builds foundational computer science skills
  • Creative activities
  • Seasonal events
Features
Read full description

The coding curriculum used in over 50% of U.S. elementary schools, now at home! Kids go from solving their first maze at age 4 to writing real JavaScript by 5th grade, through games they actually ask to play. LOVED BY KIDS, TRUSTED BY SCHOOLS Rated 4.7 stars by 21,000+ families. Over 25 million downloads. Built with elementary teachers for more than a decade, and aligned to Common Core and CSTA standards, the same curriculum kids use in class. WHAT KIDS LEARN Ages 4-6 (no reading required): sequencing, patterns, and problem-solving through maze puzzles. This is the logic underneath all programming. Ages 7-10: conditions, loops, functions, and variables, leading to real typed JavaScript Every level builds critical thinking they'll use far beyond the screen MORE THAN LESSONS Kids design their own characters, build and share their own games, and jump into seasonal events. Creativity keeps them coming back long after the lesson ends. USING KODABLE AT SCHOOL? Sign in with your school account and your child's progress comes home with them. Some class content carries over free; Kodable Pro unlocks the full library at home. BUILT FOR FAMILIES No ads. Ever. Works offline for road trips, flights, and waiting rooms Designed to meet the strict privacy standards schools require TEACHERS: A complete K-5 STEM curriculum with 80+ scripted lesson plans and Google Classroom, Clever, and roster integrations is available at kodable.com. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION – Payment will be charged to iTunes Account – 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 – Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable.

About

Chess Max Academy

Learn chess through interactive courses and activities. Engage with explanations, puzzles, and practice games to improve your skills. Designed for various learning levels, it makes understanding chess concepts easy and fun.

Highlights
  • Interactive chess courses
  • Activity-based learning
  • Explanation activities
  • Capture activities
  • Puzzle and tactics solving
  • Multiple-choice quizzes
  • Play against computer
Features
Read full description

It's time to learn interactive chess courses with activity-based solving! Our courses have hundreds of activities from various learning levels. The different types of interactive activities help you digest the information easily. 1) Explanation Activity: This will teach you a concept in a concise way. 2) Capture Activity: The most fun and engaging way to learn piece movements and captures. 3) Puzzle Activity: Solve interesting puzzles and tactics from a given position. 4) MCQ Activity: Test your knowledge with quiz-based multiple-choice questions. 5) Play with Computer: Train your skills by practicing must-know positions with the computer.

Screenshots

Kodable Basics4 screens
Chess Max Academy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chess Max Academy at 100% against Kodable Basics's 55%. Chess Max Academy also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Kodable Basics's advantage is ratings volume (21K vs 2). On price, update cadence, 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. Kodable Basics sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Chess Max Academy asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chess Max Academy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kodable Basics has 21K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Kodable Basics's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chess Max Academy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Kodable Basics versus Chess Max Academy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKodable BasicsChess Max Academy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (21K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews54.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size422 MB86 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSurfScore, IncChess Max Nexus Inc

Customer experience

Kodable Basics

All ratings21,437 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews409 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative39.9%

Chess Max Academy

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Kodable Basics

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Inability to access app after subscription cancellation
  • Persistent crashes at certain levels or stages
  • Syncing and progress issues across devices
  • Unresponsive controls and UI elements

Requested features

4 requests
  • More free content and levels
  • Improved stability and performance
  • Customization options for parents/teachers
  • Better customer support and communication

Chess Max Academy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Kodable Basics

Subscriptions2
  • Kodable Monthly Plan7 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Kodable Yearly Plan7 Days trial$119.991 Year
One-time5
  • 3-day Parent TrialFree
  • Fuzzes to Support Computer Science$4.99
  • Pre-Trial Parent Plan$19.99
Show 2 more
  • Parent Plan$29.99
  • Kodable Lifetime Plan$199.99
None

Chess Max Academy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kodable Basics free?
Kodable Basics is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chess Max Academy free?
Chess Max Academy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Kodable Basics or Chess Max Academy?
Chess Max Academy is rated higher. Kodable Basics averages 4.7 out of 5 from 21K ratings, while Chess Max Academy averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Kodable Basics or Chess Max Academy have ads?
Neither Kodable Basics nor Chess Max Academy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kodable Basics or Chess Max Academy?
Kodable Basics ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chess Max Academy every 3 weeks. Most recently, Kodable Basics was updated on September 29, 2026 and Chess Max Academy on September 15, 2026.

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