Comparison

Noctie Chess Trainer vs Chessnut Next

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

Head to head
About

Noctie Chess Trainer

Master chess openings and tactics with a human-like AI trainer. Practice your repertoire, receive instant visual feedback on moves, and solve puzzles from your games. Set up any position or study lessons and endgames to improve your overall chess skill.

Highlights
  • Human-like AI opponents with 20 difficulty levels
  • Practice specific chess openings and import repertoires
  • Instant color-coded move quality feedback
  • Solve custom tactics puzzles from your games
  • Set up any position and study lessons/endgames
Features
Read full description

Most chess apps make you play a machine. Noctie gives you a training partner. Noctie is a premium chess trainer that plays like a human, adapts to your level, and turns every game into focused practice. Play the opening you like, get puzzles from your game, have fun. No weird engine moves, just real games against a realistic opponent, with instant feedback that shows you how to improve on every move. TRAIN AGAINST HUMAN-LIKE AI OPPONENTS Train against a chess AI that adapts to your level and makes natural, human mistakes instead of perfect computer moves. Improve through 25 difficulty levels of humanlike chess bots, from beginner to master. MASTER YOUR OPENINGS THE RIGHT WAY Choose among your favorite chess openings or import your own repertoire, and train against an AI that follows the lines humans actually play. You don't just memorize theory; you learn to play it. GET INSTANT VISUAL FEEDBACK WHILE YOU PLAY See color-coded move-quality feedback the moment you play. Spot tactical mistakes and brilliant moves in real time, so every game teaches you something. SOLVE PUZZLES FROM YOUR ACTUAL GAMES After each game, practice custom chess tactics from the exact positions where you struggled. Your puzzles are saved for spaced-repetition practice, so you never repeat the same mistake twice. SET UP ANY POSITION, STUDY LESSONS & ENDGAMES Use the position builder to set up any chess position, or play scenarios from our instructive lessons — covering everything from positional imbalances to theoretical endgames. Drill king-and-pawn endgames until they're second nature. BUILT FOR PLAYERS SERIOUS ABOUT IMPROVING Noctie is a focused, premium chess training tool — no ads, no distractions, just deliberate practice that turns into real rating gains. Start with a free trial and train like you mean it. ** Requires internet connection ** SUBSCRIPTION Noctie is an auto-renewing subscription that starts with a free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase, and renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of use: https://apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://noctie.ai/privacy

About

Chessnut Next

Enhance your chess experience by connecting a smart board to digitally record moves, play against AI, and analyze games. Offers tactical training, custom position creation, and voice input for hands-free play. Review your games with detailed reports and share your progress.

Highlights
  • Smart board connection
  • Play against chess engines
  • Automatic game recording
  • On-device Stockfish analysis
  • Tactical training and puzzles
  • Board editor and position recognition
  • Voice move input
Features
Read full description

Chessnut Next is the companion app for Chessnut smart chessboards, bringing physical chess and digital tools together in one seamless experience. Connect a compatible Chessnut board to play naturally with real pieces while the app synchronizes positions, records moves, and saves your games automatically. Whether you are playing against a computer, practicing tactics, reviewing a finished game, or playing face-to-face, Chessnut Next helps you get more from every move. Key Features • Smart Board Connection Connect a compatible Chessnut electronic chessboard and synchronize physical positions with the app in real time. • Play Against Chess Engines Challenge computer opponents with different strengths and playing styles using either a physical board or the on-screen board. • Online Chess Support Use a compatible physical board with supported online chess platforms for a more natural playing experience. • Automatic Game Recording Create and save complete PGN records, including moves, players, results, and time information. • Local Stockfish Analysis Review games with on-device Stockfish analysis to explore evaluations, recommended moves, and critical mistakes. • Maia and Personalized Practice Train against human-like chess engines designed to provide realistic play across different skill levels. • Game Review Reports Generate easy-to-understand reports that highlight strong moves, mistakes, turning points, and opportunities to improve. • Puzzles and Tactical Training Improve calculation, pattern recognition, and practical decision-making with chess puzzles and focused exercises. • Board Editor and Position Recognition Create custom positions manually or use supported image-recognition features to extract a chess position from a photo. • Voice Moves In supported game modes, speak origin and destination squares to enter moves hands-free. • Chess Clock and Over-the-Board Play Record face-to-face games and manage player time with compatible Chessnut devices. • Game Library and Sharing Browse saved games, filter records by source, refresh game data, and share games or review results. • Multiple Languages Choose from a range of interface and content languages. From your first move to detailed post-game review, Chessnut Next combines smart-board connectivity, game recording, engine analysis, and training tools in one app.

Screenshots

Noctie Chess Trainer4 screens
Chessnut Next4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Noctie Chess Trainer at 74% against Chessnut Next's 0%. Noctie Chess Trainer also leads on ratings volume (633 vs 26). Chessnut Next's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). 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. Noctie Chess Trainer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $13.90 per month. Chessnut Next asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chessnut Next holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Noctie Chess Trainer has 633 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of Noctie Chess Trainer's written reviews are positive against 0% of Chessnut Next's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Noctie Chess Trainer ships an update every 3 weeks, Chessnut Next monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Noctie Chess Trainer versus Chessnut Next: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoctie Chess TrainerChessnut Next
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (633 ratings)5.0 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.4% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings633 — better26
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB369 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNoctie ABXenx Technology Limited

Customer experience

Noctie Chess Trainer

All ratings630 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive74.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.6%

Chessnut Next

All ratings24 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Noctie Chess Trainer

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Lost opening library and progress after update
  • User flow to rebuild opening library is terrible
  • Material difference calculation breaks with promoted queens
  • Layout cuts off chessboard in portrait mode on iPad
  • AI doesn't adjust strength based on user rating
Show 1 more
  • Hints and feedback can be inaccurate

Requested features

11 requests
  • Lifetime tier option
  • Realistic time management for bots
  • Dark mode
  • Choice of colors and chessboards
  • Import games from Lichess/Chess.com for flashcards
Show 6 more
  • More moves in opening hints
  • Ability to play specific opening branches on mobile
  • Detailed computer analysis in game reviews
  • Guided demo for new users
  • Option to open PGN on Lichess from review page
  • Export PGN after game

Chessnut Next

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Noctie Chess Trainer

Subscriptions2
  • Club Noctie7 Days trial$13.901 Month
  • Club Noctie Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
None

Chessnut Next

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Noctie Chess Trainer free?
Noctie Chess Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chessnut Next free?
Chessnut Next is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Noctie Chess Trainer or Chessnut Next?
Chessnut Next is rated higher. Noctie Chess Trainer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 633 ratings, while Chessnut Next averages 5.0 from 26 ratings.
Do Noctie Chess Trainer or Chessnut Next have ads?
Neither Noctie Chess Trainer nor Chessnut Next shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Noctie Chess Trainer or Chessnut Next?
Noctie Chess Trainer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chessnut Next monthly. Most recently, Noctie Chess Trainer was updated on October 25, 2026 and Chessnut Next on October 24, 2026.

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